The Role of Governance in Mobile Phones for Inclusive Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Technovation, 55-56 (September-October), pp. 1-13 (2016)

African Governance and Development Institute WP/16/007

28 Pages Posted: 10 May 2016 Last revised: 16 Jul 2016

See all articles by Simplice Asongu

Simplice Asongu

African Governance and Development Institute

Jacinta Nwachukwu

University of Huddersfield - Business School

Date Written: January 8, 2016

Abstract

This study assesses the synergy effects of governance in mobile phone penetration for inclusive human development in Sub-Saharan Africa with data for the period 2000-2012 by employing a battery of interactive estimation techniques, namely: Fixed effects (FE), Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) and Tobit regressions. Concepts of political (voice & accountability and political stability/no violence), economic (government effectiveness and regulation quality) and institutional (corruption-control and rule of law) governance are employed. The following findings are established. First, the previously apparent positive correlation between mobile phones and inclusive development can be extended to a positive effect. Second, whereas political governance is overwhelmingly not significant across estimated models, average effects from economic governance are higher relative to institutional governance. Third, on the synergy effects from interactions between mobile phones and governance variables, whereas none are apparent in FE regressions, there are significant synergy effects in GMM and Tobit estimations, notably, from: (i) regulation quality in the former and (ii) political stability, voice & accountability and rule of law in the latter. Fourth, there is consistent evidence of convergence in inclusive human development. Policy implications are discussed.

Keywords: Mobile Phones; Governance; Inclusive Human Development

JEL Classification: G20; I10; I32; O40; P37

Suggested Citation

Asongu, Simplice and Nwachukwu, Jacinta C., The Role of Governance in Mobile Phones for Inclusive Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa (January 8, 2016). Technovation, 55-56 (September-October), pp. 1-13 (2016) , African Governance and Development Institute WP/16/007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2777094 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2777094

Simplice Asongu (Contact Author)

African Governance and Development Institute ( email )

P.O. Box 8413
Yaoundé, 8413
Cameroon

Jacinta C. Nwachukwu

University of Huddersfield - Business School ( email )

Queensgate
Huddersfield HD1 3DH
United Kingdom

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