Abstract
Background: A recent increase in the adoption of mobile phone technology generated a great deal of interest and optimism regarding its effect on economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly on the enhancement of agricultural development.Aim: In this study the impact of mobile phone technology on agricultural productivity in SSA is examined.Setting: The empirical assessment uses a panel data set covering 41 countries over a period of 25 years.Methods: We employed an econometric approach and panel data covering 41 countries and a 25 year-period (1990–2014) to investigate the effect of the adoption of mobile phone technology and other socio-economic variables on agricultural total factor productivity (TFP). The use of regression analyses allowed us to estimate and measure the contribution of certain variables to agricultural TFP growth in SSA.Results: The results show that the uptake of mobile phone technology had a positive effect on agricultural TFP growth in SSA.Conclusion: Mobile phone technology has been established to be one of the drivers of agricultural productivity in SSA.Implication: The implications of this study are that governments, NGOs, and businesses working on improving agricultural productivity and food security in SSA need to continue endorsing mobile technology as a means to improve agricultural productivity.
Highlights
Recent technological advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) are having a significant impact on the growth and socio-economic development of businesses, industries, and countries across the world (FAO 2017)
Moving on to the result obtained for the uppermiddle income sub-Saharan African countries, we find that phone subscription does not have a statistically significant impact on this group of countries
This research investigates the contribution of mobile phone technology and its impact on agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
Summary
Recent technological advancements in information and communication technology (ICT) are having a significant impact on the growth and socio-economic development of businesses, industries, and countries across the world (FAO 2017). There is increasing evidence that firms which adopt ICT technologies are more likely to foster important organisational changes within their firms, with such changes having a significant impact on their performance and business growth (Brynjolfsson & Hitt 2000). On the other hand, developing countries, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), continue to experience a vast infrastructure deficit which constrains their economic growth. A recent increase in the adoption of mobile phone technology generated a great deal of interest and optimism regarding its effect on economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), on the enhancement of agricultural development
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