THE POOR AND THE MOBILE RELATED SPENDING IN JIGAWA STATE

ABSTRACT This study assessed the mobile phone and its related spending by the poor who are the majority of the rural population in Jigawa state. The main objectives of the research were to find out how the poor despite their low income level are coping with the high cost associated with maintaining their mobile phones and also to examine how it has affected their lives and spending. This project studied the relationship between high cost of using mobile phone and its benefits among the poor and also on their spending. It also examined the effect of mobile phone usage with the level of productivity among the rural dwellers. To do this, a survey of respondents randomly selected from fifteen rural communities in the state was conducted. Data was collected with questionnaire and analyzed using chi-square and Pearson’s coefficient of correlation quantitative techniques in testing hypothesizes. The result shows that majority of adult population own at least a mobile phone. It also shows that mobile phone has positively impacted the poor in terms of efficiency, productivity and information sharing etc. Despite its benefits, results shows that many poor phone users in order to service their phones cut their savings or expenses on other basic needs. Mobile phone usage among the poor came with both ups and downs but if they can focus and draw more from its positive impacts, can rather than impoverishing, be an important instrument for poverty reduction among the rural dweller. vii
TABLE OF CONTENT TITLE PAGE i CERTIFICATION ii DECLARATION iii DEDICATION iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v ABSTRACT vi TABLE OF CONTENT vii LIST OF TABLES x
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1 1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM 3 1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 4 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 5 1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES 5 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 6 1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS 6
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION 8 2.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 9 2.3 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 11 2.3.1 ICT AND MOBILE PHONE REVOLUTION 11 2.3.2 MOBILE PHONE AMONG RURAL DWELLERS IN AFRICA 11 2.3.3 HISTORY OF MOBILE PHONE IN NIGERIA 12 viii 2.3.4 THE USE OF MOBILE PHONE IN JIGAWA STATE 13 2.3.5 POVERTY AND THE USE OF MOBILE PHONES 15 2.4 SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW 19
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 INTRODUCTION 21 3.2 POPULATION 21 3.3 STUDY AREA 21 3. 4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE 22 3.5 DATA COLLECTION SOURCE 23 3.5.1 PRIMARY SOURCE 24 3.5.2 SECONDARY SOURCE 24 3.6 INSTRUMENT 24 3.7 RESEARCH DESIGN 24 3.8 RESEARCH PROCEDURE 25 3.9 DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES 25
CHAPTER FOUR DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS 4.1 INTRODUCTION 27 4.2 TABULAR PRESENTATION AND BRIEF OF RESULTS ANALYSIS 27 4.2.1 TESTING OF HYPOTHESES 42 4.3 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 52
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 55 5.2 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 56 5.3 CONCLUSION 56 5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS 57 5.5 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES 58 REFERENCES 59 APPENDICES 65 APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE 65 APPENDIX B: THE CHI-SQUARE DISTRIBUTION TABLE 69 APPENDIX C: THE T-DISTRIBUTION TABLE 70