ADSU International Journal of Applied Economics, Finance and Management

Financial Sector, ICT-Driven Financial Sector And Human Development In West African Countries: Panel Generalized Method Of Moments

Abstract

The study focuses on financial deepening and its interaction with ICT on human development in West Africa from 2012 to 2022 using GMM approach. The human development indicator is the HDI. The indicators of financial deepening used are Money supply to GDP, Credit supply to GDP, Liquid liabilities to GDP while the indicators of ICT are internet subscription and mobile subscription. The findings affirm that positive changes in current human welfare depend on the previous quality of education, health and life span. Whether inflation is included or not included in the model, money supply worsens human development and when the internet subscription and mobile subscription were used as catalysts to complement money supply and drive human development, the effect of the interaction of ICT with money supply on human development is mixed. Specifically, the interaction between money supply and internet subscription in West African has significant negative effect on human development while the interaction of money supply with the mobile subscription has an insignificant positive effect on human development. The interactions of liquid liabilities with both the internet subscription and mobile subscription have mixed effects on human development. By decomposing the effect of ICT interaction with liquid liabilities, the study affirms that the interaction between liquid liabilities and internet subscription significantly improves human development on one hand and on the other hand, the interaction between liquid liabilities and mobile subscription has insignificant negative impact on human development. Credit supply showed a positive significant effect on human development but the interaction of credit supply with both the internet subscription and mobile subscription significantly improve human development in the West African countries. Inflation appeared to worsen human development. Policymakers must enforce the adoption of financial technology to minimize cash outside the banking system and enhance liquid liabilities/money and credit supply.