A Capabilitarian Account of the Potential of Mobile Money for Rural Poverty Reduction in Bauchi, Northern Nigeria

The concept of financial inclusion is partly about empowering underserved or unserved individuals with options to engage within a financial system. With the advent of mobile-money, many people living in rural and cash economies can use their mobile phones to access nontraditional means of banking. The ability to use mobile phones for payment and remittance purposes has changed the ways mobile phones and banking are used, because of the opportunity offered to underbanked and unbanked populations in many developing countries. Although there is an increasing amount of research in this area, studies relating mobile money to human development, and more specifically to rural poverty as ‘capability deprivation’ are limited. The capability approach has in recent decades emerged as a theoretical framework for understanding poverty, justice, inequality and human development. Although the approach has been extensively operationalised in varied contexts, there remains scarce overt interaction between the capability approach and the branch of research focused on assessing information and communications technology (ICT) for advancing human development. The capability approach is operationalised here to examine the transformative potential of ICTs in human development. In particular, the study assesses the effect of mobile-money on human capabilities of poor and rural individuals in Bauchi State, Northern Nigeria. Research insights are thus used to produce a capabilitarian account through which mobilemoney is evaluated in terms of its ability to expand or obstruct people’s valued human capabilities to achieve their ideas of ’the good’. Secondary evidence synthesised with empirical discoveries suggest that mobile-money is valuable if the range of financial services allow poor people to pursue their wellbeing goals by serving primarily as a savings platform and a facilitator of quick and dependable payments and transfers. While a proportion of rural populations are included (through capability expansion) in the mobile-money ecosystem, some remain inevitably excluded (through capability obstruction), and therefore still deprived in terms of their capabilities as a result of mobile-money. In conclusion, challenges relating to accessibility, affordability and awareness need to be adequately addressed in order for mobile-money to attain its transformative potential of reducing rural poverty. By exploring how mobile-money plays a role in enhancing or obstructing human capabilities, this study demonstrates that the capability approach lends itself to making a more robust analysis that allows a theorisation of the link between ICTs and human development

Gender and the construction of identity within climate technology innovation in Kenya

This paper undertakes an analysis of the discursive construction of the entrepreneurial identity within media on climate technology(CT) innovation in Kenya. Using the STEPS pathways approach along side a post-structuralist feminist identity framework, it explores the way that the narrative of entrepreneur-led innovation may include or exclude the framings of particular actors. The paper draws on ideas of antagonism in identity construction, legitimacy, and access to resources, in order to identify those actors that may perceive themselves as, or be perceived as, more or less legitimate as CT entrepreneurs, thus being more or less likely to gain access to resources for CT innovation. Although the climate technology entrepreneur aligns in some ways with more normatively feminine notions of the caring social entrepreneur, overall the CT entrepreneur remains a masculine identity. Women are underrepresented in media portrayals of CT entrepreneurship.Further, portrayals of women CT entrepreneurs tend to question their legitimacy, depicting them as either requiring the support of men, or as taking up masculine characteristics in order to gain credibility. The paper demonstrates that this might translate into more favourable attitudes towards men CT entrepreneurs when seeking access to institutional support. It recommends further research into the capacity for CT entrepreneurship to effectively incorporate marginalised framings, and where entrepreneurship will fail to meet their needs, it calls for increased support for appropriate alternative processes of climate technology innovation

Financial Inclusion in Muslim-Majority Countries: Overcoming Economic and Social Challenges Through Islamic Lending

This study explores the impact of Islamic loans on promoting financial inclusion and addressing socio-economic issues in Muslim-majority countries.   It compares Islamic loans with other financial instruments to demonstrate their contribution to creating an inclusive financial system.The research analyzes the challenges associated with using Islamic loans to enhance financial inclusiveness and mitigate economic and social challenges. The research explores the unique characteristics of Islamic loans and their impact on financial accessibility, savings, credit availability, and comprehensive banking services through a comparative descriptive methodology, including a literature review and data analysis. The study's findings reveal that Islamic finance presents opportunities for financial inclusion. However, there are several obstacles that need to be addressed, including regulatory and legal frameworks, scalability issues, global integration, public awareness, and technical accessibility. To promote the adoption of Islamic finance and advance financial inclusion, collaboration among regulatory bodies, financial institutions, legislators, and the public is crucial. Further research and the development of effective strategies are necessary to promote financial inclusion in the Islamic economy

The Impact of ICT on Financial Inclusion: Evidence from Global Sample

This study investigates the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on financial inclusion in a panel of 74 countries for a period of four years i.e., 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021. We employ panel regression methods to estimate our model. Specifically, we used the fixed effects regression as a preliminary analysis. However, to mitigate the potential endogeneity concern in the model, we utilize the panel instrumental variable (IV) regression as our preferred estimation method. We find a positive and statistically significant impact of ICT index on financial inclusion. As a sensitivity analysis, we split the sample into two sub-groups – high-income and middle-income countries. Our results suggest that ICT is a significant determinant of financial inclusion in the sample countries. Specifically, internet penetration is a robust driver of financial inclusion in middle-income countries. The policymakers, particularly in middle-income countries, should focus on expanding the internet base to achieve higher financial inclusion

Strengthening Access to Finance for Women-Owned SMEs in Developing Countries

This report highlights key trends, challenges, and opportunities for advancing women's entrepreneurship and increasing their access to finance. Due to their high growth potential, women-owned SMEs in developing countries are of particular interest. The report therefore focuses on the presence of women-owned SMEs in developing countries across different types of enterprises, and the ability of these business owners to access finance to grow their businesses; identifies financial and non-financial institutionswith scalable approaches to increase access to finance for women entrepreneurs in developing countries; pinpoints specific knowledge gaps for which further research is recommended; and, provides policy recommendations on expanding access to finance for women entrepreneurs

Getting from crisis to systems change: Advice for leaders in the time of COVID

The report recognises that we are in a crisis so deep that only far-reaching systems change can get us out of it and on a path towards a just, inclusive and sustainably prosperous world. It contains dozens of ideas across 14 key issues that are continually being fine-tuned. The report also mentions cross-cutting proposals for giving social entrepreneurs a seat at the table when world leaders meet to make decisions that will impact billions of people. This will help to break down silos impeding holistic approaches and to make it easier for social entrepreneurs to contact and collaborate with other key institutions in the ecosystem for delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, from multilateral institutions and national governments to businesses and philanthropies.

YALJOD Full Issue 3.1

The Young African Leaders Journal of Development (YALJOD) is a biennial journal and an official publication of the Young African Leaders Forum (YALF). It was established in 2015 to host scholarly analysis and competing viewpoints about the development of Africa; and it’s multidisciplinary approach makes it more formidable. YALJOD accepts papers from varied disciplinary areas — including Social Sciences, Physical Sciences and Humanities — that show direct relevance to the development of Africa. It publishes researches understood as the social, economic, political, cultural and technological processes of change in Africa. The intended audience of the journal remains the entire African people. Howbeit, for effectiveness, special emphasis is given to African leadership operators, development academics, researchers and youths — who appear to be the next African leaders

Business Leaders Marketing to Bottom-of-the-Pyramid Consumers in Nigeria

Business leaders often leave more than half of the world\u27s population the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), a $5-trillion market of potential consumers untapped for products and services on account of failing to see BOP markets as profitable for business, yet business leaders who have managed inclusive BOP marketing in Nigeria have experienced profit margins as high as 120%. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies of business leaders who market to BOP consumers in Nigeria and maintain a profit. The study population consisted of 3 business leaders in the Dallas and Fort Worth metropolitan area who marketed to BOP consumers in Nigeria and maintained a profit. The conceptual framework that grounded the study was BOP marketing theory. Data were collected through semistructured in-depth interviews and company documents, with member checking implemented to strengthen creditability and trustworthiness. Based on the methodological triangulation of the data sources collected, 3 emergent themes were identified following 5 stages of data analysis. The themes were (a) maintain low profit margins in marketing essential items to the BOP in Nigeria, (b) maintain high profit margins in marketing to the non-BOP in Nigeria, and (c) market scaled-down products to the BOP in Nigeria. The findings from this study may contribute to social change by providing insights and strategies for business leaders seeking to prepare for and sustain profitability. The data from this study may contribute to higher profit margins for business leaders as well as job placement and entrepreneurship opportunities for the communities of Nigeria