INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUSIVEÂ FINANCE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AFRICA: A GENDER-SPECIFIC PERSPECTIVE

Emmanuel Uche, Joseph C. Odionye and Nicholas Ngepah
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Emmanuel Uche: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria2School of Economics, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Joseph C. Odionye: Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, Abia State University, Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria

Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), 2023, vol. 28, issue 04, 1-22

Abstract: The potential for information and communication technologies (ICT) and inclusive finance to drive entrepreneurial activity in an African context remain unclear. We specifically consider effects on male versus female entrepreneurs. This study unveils new insights based on an annual panel series for 52 African countries from 2005–2019. The system-generalized method-of-moments (sysGMM) and the novel method-of-moments quantile regression (MM-QR) aided the analysis. The estimates of both procedures demonstrate that entrepreneurship in Africa is self-promoting. The sysGMM estimator demonstrates that financial inclusion produced unsubstantial effects on entrepreneurial activity. However, the estimates of the MM-QR produced varying significant positive relationships mostly at the upper quantiles for all entrepreneurs. The sysGMM reveals that ICT produced marginal positive effects for entrepreneurs in general but not for female entrepreneurs. Additionally, the MM-QR unveiled a significant positive influence of ICT at the lower and middle quantiles for aggregate levels of entrepreneurship. ICT produced significant positive effects at the lower quantiles for men, and at the upper quantiles for women. Policy options to promote entrepreneurship in the continent are highlighted.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; information and communication technology; financial inclusion; Africa; moment quantile regression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C5 F15 J21 J7 L64 O12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1142/S1084946723500255

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