IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/fininn/v10y2024i1d10.1186_s40854-023-00553-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mobile money innovations, income inequality and gender inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Simplice A. Asongu

    (University of Johannesburg
    New Uzbekistan University)

  • Peter Agyemang-Mintah

    (Zayed University)

  • Joseph Nnanna

    (The Clan Place)

  • Yolande E. Ngoungou

    (University of Yaoundé 2)

Abstract

This study assesses the role of mobile money innovations on income inequality and gender inclusion in 42 sub-Saharan African countries from 1980 to 2019 using interactive quantile regressions. It finds that, first, income inequality unconditionally reduces the involvement of women in business and politics. Second, mobile money innovations interact with income inequality to have a positive impact on women in business and politics. Third, the net effects of mobile money innovations on gender inclusion through income inequality are consistently negative. Fourth, as the positive conditional or interactive effects and negative net effects are consistent across the conditional distribution of gender inclusion, thresholds at which mobile money innovations can completely dampen the negative effect of income inequality on gender inclusion are provided. Therefore, policymakers should work toward improving conditions for mobile money innovations. They should also be aware that reducing both income inequality and enhancing mobile money innovations simultaneously leads to more inclusive outcomes in terms of gender inclusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Simplice A. Asongu & Peter Agyemang-Mintah & Joseph Nnanna & Yolande E. Ngoungou, 2024. "Mobile money innovations, income inequality and gender inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 10(1), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:fininn:v:10:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s40854-023-00553-8
    DOI: 10.1186/s40854-023-00553-8
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s40854-023-00553-8
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1186/s40854-023-00553-8?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Schilling, Linda & Uhlig, Harald, 2019. "Some simple bitcoin economics," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 16-26.
    2. Asongu, Simplice A. & Biekpe, Nicholas & Cassimon, Danny, 2021. "On the diffusion of mobile phone innovations for financial inclusion," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    3. Vanessa S. Tchamyou & Simplice A. Asongu, 2017. "Information Sharing and Financial Sector Development in Africa," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(1), pages 24-49, January.
    4. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2018. "ICT, Financial Access and Gender Inclusion in the Formal Economic Sector: Evidence from Africa," The African Finance Journal, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 20(2), pages 45-65.
    5. Vanessa Simen Tchamyou, 2020. "Education, lifelong learning, inequality and financial access: evidence from African countries," Contemporary Social Science, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 7-25, January.
    6. Tii N. Nchofoung & Simplice A. Asongu & Arsène A. Njamen Kengdo & Elvis D. Achuo, 2022. "Linear and non‐linear effects of infrastructures on inclusive human development in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 34(1), pages 81-96, March.
    7. Vanessa S. Tchamyou & Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "The Role of ICT in Modulating the Effect of Education and Lifelong Learning on Income Inequality and Economic Growth in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 31(3), pages 261-274, September.
    8. Michael Choi & Guillaume Rocheteau, 2021. "Money Mining and Price Dynamics," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 246-294, October.
    9. Boateng, Agyenim & Asongu, Simplice & Akamavi, Raphael & Tchamyou, Vanessa, 2018. "Information asymmetry and market power in the African banking industry," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 69-83.
    10. Bruno Biais & Christophe Bisière & Matthieu Bouvard & Catherine Casamatta & Albert J. Menkveld, 2023. "Equilibrium Bitcoin Pricing," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 78(2), pages 967-1014, April.
    11. Yesuf Awel & Eleni Yitbarek, 2022. "Mobile money demand in utility bill payments: A WTP estimate from Ethiopia," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(1), pages 56-75, January.
    12. Holtz-Eakin, Douglas & Joulfaian, David & Rosen, Harvey S, 1994. "Sticking It Out: Entrepreneurial Survival and Liquidity Constraints," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 102(1), pages 53-75, February.
    13. Ofori, Isaac K. & Armah, Mark K. & Taale, Francis & Ofori, Pamela E., 2021. "Addressing the Severity and Intensity of Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: How Relevant is the ICT and Financial Development Pathway?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue forthcomi.
    14. Asongu, Simplice A. & Nounamo, Yann & Njangang, Henri & Tadadjeu, Sosson, 2021. "Gender inclusive intermediary education, financial stability and female employment in the industry in Sub-Saharan Africa," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    15. Anthony Orji & Ekene Aguegboh & Onyinye I. Anthony-Orji, 2015. "Real Sector Output and Financial Liberalisation in Nigeria," Journal of Infrastructure Development, India Development Foundation, vol. 7(2), pages 136-150, December.
    16. Asongu, Simplice A. & Biekpe, Nicholas & Cassimon, Danny, 2020. "Understanding the greater diffusion of mobile money innovations in Africa," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(8).
    17. Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2014. "Financial systems and economic growth in South Africa: a dynamic complementarity test," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(1), pages 83-101, January.
    18. Asongu, Simplice A., 2017. "Assessing marginal, threshold, and net effects of financial globalisation on financial development in Africa," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 103-114.
    19. Nchofoung, Tii N. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "ICT for sustainable development: Global comparative evidence of globalisation thresholds," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(5).
    20. Oded Galor & Joseph Zeira, 1993. "Income Distribution and Macroeconomics," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 60(1), pages 35-52.
    21. Emiliano S Pagnotta, 2022. "Decentralizing Money: Bitcoin Prices and Blockchain Security," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 35(2), pages 866-907.
    22. Simplice A Asongu & Sara Le Roux, 2019. "Understanding Sub-Saharan Africa’s Extreme Poverty Tragedy," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(6), pages 457-467, April.
    23. Asongu, Simplice A. & Biekpe, Nicholas, 2018. "ICT, information asymmetry and market power in African banking industry," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 518-531.
    24. Black, Sandra E & Lynch, Lisa M, 1996. "Human-Capital Investments and Productivity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(2), pages 263-267, May.
    25. Jonathan Chiu & Thorsten V. Koeppl, 2017. "The Economics Of Cryptocurrencies - Bitcoin And Beyond," Working Paper 1389, Economics Department, Queen's University.
    26. Tchamyou, Vanessa S. & Erreygers, Guido & Cassimon, Danny, 2019. "Inequality, ICT and financial access in Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 169-184.
    27. Billger, Sherrilyn M. & Goel, Rajeev K., 2009. "Do existing corruption levels matter in controlling corruption?: Cross-country quantile regression estimates," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(2), pages 299-305, November.
    28. Oded Galor & Omer Moav, 1999. "From Physical to Human Capital Accumulation: Inequality in the Process of Development," Working Papers 99-27, Brown University, Department of Economics.
    29. Bruno Biais & Christophe Bisière & Matthieu Bouvard & Catherine Casamatta, 2019. "The Blockchain Folk Theorem," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 32(5), pages 1662-1715.
    30. Roger Koenker & Kevin F. Hallock, 2001. "Quantile Regression," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 15(4), pages 143-156, Fall.
    31. Mr. Boileau Loko & Yuanchen Yang, 2022. "Fintech, Female Employment, and Gender Inequality," IMF Working Papers 2022/108, International Monetary Fund.
    32. Kwangbin Bae & Dongsook Han & Hosung Sohn, 2012. "Importance of Access to Finance in Reducing Income Inequality and Poverty Level," International Review of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 55-77, April.
    33. Vanessa S. Tchamyou, 2019. "The Role of Information Sharing in Modulating the Effect of Financial Access on Inequality," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 317-338, July.
    34. Fahad Saleh & Wei Jiang, 2021. "Blockchain without Waste: Proof-of-Stake [Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(3), pages 1156-1190.
    35. Florence D. Mndolwa & Abdul Latif Alhassan, 2020. "Gender disparities in financial inclusion: Insights from Tanzania," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 32(4), pages 578-590, December.
    36. Purva Khera & Ms. Sumiko Ogawa & Ms. Ratna Sahay & Mahima Vasishth, 2022. "Women in Fintech: As Leaders and Users," IMF Working Papers 2022/140, International Monetary Fund.
    37. Oded Galor & Omer Moav, 2004. "From Physical to Human Capital Accumulation: Inequality and the Process of Development," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 71(4), pages 1001-1026.
    38. Evans, David S & Jovanovic, Boyan, 1989. "An Estimated Model of Entrepreneurial Choice under Liquidity Constraints," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(4), pages 808-827, August.
    39. Evans S. Osabuohien & Alhassan A. Karakara, 2018. "ICT Usage, Mobile Money and Financial Access of Women in Ghana," Africagrowth Agenda, Africagrowth Institute, vol. 15(1), pages 14-18.
    40. Simplice A. Asongu & Jacinta C. Nwachukwu, 2016. "Rational Asymmetric Development, Piketty and Poverty in Africa," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 13(2), pages 221-246, December.
    41. Isaac K. Ofori & Camara K. Obeng & Simplice A. Asongu, 2022. "What Really Drives Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa? Evidence from The Lasso Regularization and Inferential Techniques," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 22/061, African Governance and Development Institute..
    42. Yoke Wang Tok & Dyna Heng, 2022. "Fintech: Financial Inclusion or Exclusion?," IMF Working Papers 2022/080, International Monetary Fund.
    43. Nchofoung, Tii N. & Achuo, Elvis Dze & Asongu, Simplice A., 2021. "Resource rents and inclusive human development in developing countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    44. Easley, David & O'Hara, Maureen & Basu, Soumya, 2019. "From mining to markets: The evolution of bitcoin transaction fees," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(1), pages 91-109.
    45. Gur Huberman & Jacob D Leshno & Ciamac Moallemi, 2021. "Monopoly without a Monopolist: An Economic Analysis of the Bitcoin Payment System [Blockchain Economics]," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 88(6), pages 3011-3040.
    46. Sourav Batabyal & Abdur Chowdhury, 2015. "Curbing corruption, financial development and income inequality," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 15(1), pages 49-72, January.
    47. Brambor, Thomas & Clark, William Roberts & Golder, Matt, 2006. "Understanding Interaction Models: Improving Empirical Analyses," Political Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 14(1), pages 63-82, January.
    48. Thorsten Beck & Asli Demirgüç-Kunt & Ross Levine, 2007. "Finance, inequality and the poor," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 27-49, March.
    49. Lashitew, Addisu A. & van Tulder, Rob & Liasse, Yann, 2019. "Mobile phones for financial inclusion: What explains the diffusion of mobile money innovations?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 1201-1215.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Asongu, Simplice A. & le Roux, Sara, 2023. "The role of mobile money innovations in transforming unemployed women to self-employed women in sub-Saharan Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    2. Asongu, Simplice A. & Ngoungou, Yolande E. & Nnanna, Joseph, 2023. "Mobile money innovations and health performance in sub-Saharan Africa," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2023. "Female unemployment, mobile money innovations and doing business by females," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-26, December.
    4. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2023. "Microfinance institutions and female entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa: avoidable female unemployment thresholds," Working Papers of The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA). 23/007, The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA).
    5. Simplice Asongu, 2023. "Female unemployment and the procedure that a woman has to go through to start a business: microfinance policy thresholds," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(5), pages 939-955, December.
    6. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2023. "The effect of inequality on poverty and severity of poverty in SSA: the role of financial development institutions," Working Papers 23/030, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    7. Simplice A. Asongu & Valentine B. Soumtang & Ofeh M. Edoh, 2021. "Financial institutions, poverty and severity of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/081, African Governance and Development Institute..
    8. Asongu, Simplice A. & Nnanna, Joseph & Acha-Anyi, Paul N., 2020. "Finance, inequality and inclusive education in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 162-177.
    9. Simplice A. Asongu & Joseph Nnanna & Paul N. Acha-Anyi, 2020. "Inclusive Education for Inclusive Economic Participation: the Financial Access Channel," Research Africa Network Working Papers 20/019, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    10. Asongu, Simplice A. & Odhiambo, Nicholas M., 2021. "Inequality, finance and renewable energy consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1), pages 678-688.
    11. Asongu, Simplice A. & Nnanna, Joseph & Acha-Anyi, Paul N., 2020. "Inequality and gender economic inclusion: The moderating role of financial access in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 173-185.
    12. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2022. "Financial Access and Value Added in Sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical Evidence from the Agricultural, Manufacturing and Service Sectors," Working Papers 22/009, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    13. Simplice A. Asongu, 2020. "Financial Access and Productivity Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(12), pages 1029-1041, September.
    14. Simplice A. Asongu & Sara le Roux, 2023. "The role of mobile money innovations in the effect of inequality on poverty and severity of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 23/046, African Governance and Development Institute..
    15. Tchamyou, Vanessa S. & Erreygers, Guido & Cassimon, Danny, 2019. "Inequality, ICT and financial access in Africa," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 169-184.
    16. Simplice Asongu & Rexon Nting, 2021. "The role of finance in inclusive human development in Africa revisited," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 38(2), pages 345-370, February.
    17. Vanessa S. Tchamyou & Juste Some & Simplice A. Asongu, 2022. "The African Continental Free Trade Area and Financial Development for Women Economic Participation in Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 22/040, African Governance and Development Institute..
    18. Simplice A. Asongu & Joel Hinaunye Eita, 2023. "The conditional influence of poverty, inequality and severity of poverty on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 23/022, African Governance and Development Institute..
    19. Vanessa S. Tchamyou, 2019. "The Role of Information Sharing in Modulating the Effect of Financial Access on Inequality," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 20(3), pages 317-338, July.
    20. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2023. "The role of financial inclusion in moderating the incidence of entrepreneurship on energy poverty in Ghana," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 23/035, African Governance and Development Institute..

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial inclusion; Inequality; Mobile phones; Sub-Saharan Africa; Women;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:fininn:v:10:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1186_s40854-023-00553-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.