Nexus between Information and Communication Technology, Financial Intermediation, and Household Investment: A Review

Abstract

Financial inclusion has been recognized as a poverty reduction tool, and many economies have taken it up as a national agenda. To achieve the expected levels of financial inclusion, governments have worked with financial intermediaries to reach the expected target group, the unbanked poor. As per the financial intermediation theory, the role of financial intermediaries is to minimize the information asymmetry in the financial system. To enhance financial inclusion, many countries and financial institutions have embraced information and communication technology (ICT). ICT has been recognized as a tool that has worked greatly toward enhancing sharing of information at a low cost and that has thus helped in improving financial inclusion. Though many countries have achieved high levels of financial inclusion through ICT, the levels of poverty have not declined. It was thus important to establish the relationship between ICT, financial intermediation, and household investment. This study methodology was a review of the literature on financial inclusion, financial intermediation, ICT, and household investment. From this study, it was noted that ICT is helping in financial intermediation and thus more people can access financial services. Unfortunately, the levels of ICT capability among the poor are low, and in that case, the poor are not able to utilize financial services offered through ICT platforms to undertake household investment. This is the reason as to why, despite the high levels of financial inclusion, the poor still remain poor. This study recommends that the government should ensure that the levels of ICT among the populace are high. Financial institutions on the other hand should provide financial services with more user-friendly platforms.