Exploring the contribution of mobile money to well-being from a capability perspective

This study considered the impact of mobile money on well-being and development from a capability perspective using data from the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana. The evidence suggests varied capability enhancing benefits of mobile money use, ranging from empowerment to participate in the financial system, to choice, and agency to meet various functionings that contribute to better well-being outcomes in employment, health, and education. Erratic power supply and a poor network signal in some communities are unfreedoms that need removing for people to take advantage of the huge well-being and human development potential of mobile money. The long-term dependency on family and social networks for monetary support is a capability diminishing feature of mobile money. The study findings support the necessity to adopt a multifaceted and pragmatic conceptualisation of development in information and communication technology for development research.

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Adaba GB, Ayoung DA, Abbott P. Exploring the contribution of mobile money to well-being from a capability perspective. E J Info Sys Dev Countries. 2019; 85:e12079, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/isd2.12079. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.