The impact of e‐wallet on informal farm entrepreneurship development in rural Nigeria

Abstract

AbstractTransforming agriculture from a largely subsistence enterprise to a profitable commercial venture is both a prerequisite and a driving force for accelerated development and sustainable growth in sub‐Saharan Africa. The objective of this investigation is to assess the impact of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) e‐wallet program on informal farm entrepreneurship development in rural Nigeria. Informal sector farmers are those that are not legally registered at the national level although could be connected to a registered association.The research is motivated by the absence of literature focusing on the problem statement or objective of the study. One thousand one hundred and fifty‐two rural farmers were sampled across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Results from the use of a bivariate probit model indicate that the mobile phone‐based technology via the e‐wallet program is a critical factor that has enhanced farm entrepreneurship in rural Nigeria. However, results also show that the impact of mobile phones (as a channel to accessing and using modern agricultural inputs) is contingent on how mobile networks are able to link farmers who live in rural areas and work mainly in farming. The results suggest that increasing mobile phone services in rural Nigeria enhances farmers' knowledge, information, and adoption of improved farm inputs and by extension, spurs rural informal sector economic activities in sub‐Saharan Africa. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.