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

Abstract

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.