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.
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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
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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