Patterns and Drivers of Mobile Telephony for Sustainable Livelihood among Rural Farming Households in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Recently, it is acknowledged that mobile phones, as an asset, exhibits multiple functionalities and diverse applications that cut across all forms of capital accumulation necessary for sustainable livelihood. However, empirical result is sparse in Nigeria as to the impact of mobile phones on asset accumulation. This study examined the socio-economic determinants of mobile phone use and intensity of use for sustainable capital formation in among farming households in Kwara state, Nigeria. Specifically, 120 rural farming households were randomly sampled and count data on the number of calls made with respect to livelihood capitals generated. Binary Logistic regression and Zero-Inflated negative Binomial regression models were used in analyzing the data. The study revealed that 73% of the respondents have access to mobile phone use. The study identifies major uses of mobile phone for sustainable livelihood enhancement activities. Significant determinants of mobile phone use are; possession of formal education, household size, age, marital status, annual farm income, diversity of crop cultivated and the number of family members living outside the community (p<0.05). This study underscores the relevance of mobile phones for sustainable development and recommends the need for increased investment in facilitating access to mobile phone use across rural communities in Nigeria