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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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Independent research & practical ideas for global prosperity
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 Jenny C. Aker is a non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Development and an assistant professor of economics at Tufts University. Full BioWhy Have Mobile Phones Succeeded Where Other Technologies Have Not?November 3, 2010By Jenny Aker in Global Development, Technology Tags: Mobile Phones, Technology
A few weeks ago, I was sitting on a panel for a conference on Information and Communications Technology and Development. The debate on my panel was a lively one, and came down to one issue: Can information technology (by itself) lead to development? Obviously there has been a lot of buzz about this topic — Jeffrey Sachs has called the mobile phone the “single most transformative technology” for development, and Rwandan President Paul Kagame once stated that mobile phones were becoming a “basic necessity” for Africa. Previously, I have argued that mobile phones are not the silver bullet for development (and I still believe this). But just because something doesn’t save the world doesn’t mean that we can or should dismiss it as the latest development fad, either. Mobile phones have something to teach us about the adoption of other technologies, and I think we have something to learn. Read More… 6 Comments »The Mozambican Riots: Food for ThoughtSeptember 13, 2010By Jenny Aker in Global Development Tags: Food Crisis, Mozambique, Riots
This is a joint posting with Rebecca Schutte. Last week’s deadly unrest in Mozambique became a global news story, as clashes between security forces and people protesting rising food prices in the capital, Maputo, left at least ten people dead and more than 400 people injured. CGD Non-Resident Fellow Chris Blattman explained his skepticism about such riots, questioning why many were blaming climate change and higher international grain prices for domestic unrest. Rather, he pointed to poor domestic policies and alarmist journalism and “yearned for real information” about the root causes of the riots this weeks. Having recently returned from Mozambique, here are some additional insights on the food riots. Read More… 2 Comments »C U L8ter? Using Mobile Phones as a Literacy Tool in NigerSeptember 13, 2010By Jenny Aker in Global Development, Technology Tags: Mobile Phones, Technology
RELATED WORKING PAPER: ABC, 123: The Impact of a Mobile Phone Literacy Program on Educational Outcomes This is a joint posting with Kristy Bohling. I recently received a text message from my friend Karim in Niger, asking “Keski ce passe?” (What’s happening?). Those of you who know French might notice his text is an abbreviation of the much longer expression for “Qu’est-ce qui se passe”, which is formal and proper but a bit long when you only have 140 characters. Such abbreviations in French, English and other languages have caused teachers and parents alike to blame texting for corrupting our language and “degrading [the] spelling of [our] youth.” Existing studies in the UK and elsewhere have debunked these claims, and, the National Adult Literacy Database called on people to celebrate International Literacy Day by “reading or writing, tweeting or texting.” In fact, mobile phones and texting might be a new tool in the arsenal against illiteracy: our new research in Niger suggests that mobile phones could promote literacy and numeracy skills in sub-Saharan Africa. Read More… Comment »Facing Hunger in NigerJune 29, 2010By Jenny Aker in Global Development Tags: Food Aid
Over 7 million people are expected to face severe food shortages in Niger over the next few months. When I was there in early June, many villages in the far east of the country had not yet received rain, there had been an exodus of young men to Nigeria, Benin and Libya, and women were searching for the bitter green berry – known as dilo – to cook and eat, a last resort for those who have nothing. Whether the Niger food crisis of 2010 will be better, worse or the same as that of 2005 remains to be seen. It is only June, and there are still at 3 months before the next harvest. There are several reasons to hope that this year’s food crisis won’t be as bad as it was in 2005 — but there are also potential pitfalls that donors, international organizations, the government and NGOs need to watch out for. Read More… Comment »Can You Text me Money Now? Using Mobile Phones for Cash TransfersMay 18, 2010By Jenny Aker in Global Development, Migration and Labor Mobility, Security and Development, Technology Tags: Haiti, Mobile Phones, Technology
In the wake of the Haitian earthquake, major wireless carriers used text messages to speed up and simplify donation processes, allowing thousands of people to send financial support via their mobile phones. Within two days, USD$2 million was raised for Haitian relief efforts. Will mobile phones serve as a new paradigm for providing aid in developing countries? The use of mobile phones in Haitian relief is part of the broader “mobile money” (m-money) movement in the US and Europe, allowing people to pay by bumping two phones together, sending money by text messaging (SMS) or by swiping a credit card on a mobile device. The trend is not confined to rich countries: m-money systems began appearing in developing countries five years ago, and are now used in countries as diverse as Afghanistan, Kenya, Ghana, the Philippines and Brazil. Such systems facilitate a variety of financial transactions: transmitting airtime, paying bills and transferring money, including the most popular service, person-to-person (PTP) money transfers. Read More… 1 Comment »Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (Short Time Passing)April 23, 2010By Jenny Aker in Global Development Tags: Trade
This is a joint post with Christopher Ksoll. Since the volcanic eruption in Iceland on April 14th, we have been inundated with stories about flight disruptions. Demi Moore can no longer travel to the premiere of her new movie in London. The opening of “Iron Man 2” has been moved from Europe to Los Angeles. Millions of passengers have been stranded in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia, as airports from Manchester to Munich to Milan were closed. And now the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging European governments to find ways to “compensate” the airlines for over USD$ 1 billion in lost revenues. Read More… Comment »Despite Coup in Niger, Wrong Time to Yank Humanitarian AssistanceFebruary 19, 2010By Jenny Aker in Global Development Tags: Democracy
photo by edoug / CC BY-SA 2.0
On February 18, 2010, gunfire broke out around the Presidential Palace in Niger. According to most recent reports, President Mamadou Tandja and his cabinet are in captivity, and a military group, the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (SCRD), has seized power to “make Niger an example of democracy and good governance.” Niger has been here before. With 85 percent of the population living on less than USD$2 per day, Niger is the lowest-ranked country on the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI). This landlocked Sahelian country has a long history of political instability, military rule and coup d’etats, two of which took place in the 1990s. After the coup in April 1999, the military leadership quickly moved to undertake democratic elections, bringing President Tandja to power. Read More… 5 Comments »The Myth of Microfinance? Why MFIs Shouldn’t Be Freaking Out (Yet)November 13, 2009By Jenny Aker in Microfinance Tags: MicrofinanceThis is a joint post with Michael Clemens. The headline in the Boston Globe on September 20, 2009 was catchy: “Billions of dollars and a Nobel Prize later, it looks like ‘microlending’ doesn’t actually do much to fight poverty.” The article referred to the findings of two recent impact evaluations in microfinance in India and the Philippines conducted by researchers at MIT and Yale, respectively. The studies, which were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of microfinance interventions, found “weak and in some cases nonexistent effects” of microfinance on profits, expenditures and well-being. Privately and publicly, donors, MFIs and practitioners are expressing concern about the impact of these studies on the future of microfinance. Are they right to be worried? 7 Comments »Hip Hip…Hooray? Cautious Optimism for G8 Agricultural CommitmentsJuly 13, 2009By Jenny Aker in Aid Effectiveness, Food & Agriculture, Global Development, Regions Tags: Agriculture, Food Aid, G8, Obama Administration, OxfamLast week, the leaders of the Group of 8 pledged 20 billion dollars in agricultural aid, with the purpose of boosting agricultural productivity — especially in Africa. But will $20 billion over a three-year period help to feed many of the 1.02 billion people on earth who suffer from food insecurity? Read More… Comment »Tapping Mobile Phone Networks to Monitor Pandemic Flu in Developing CountriesMay 6, 2009By Jenny Aker in Global Development, Technology Tags: Flu, H1N1, Mobile Phones, Swine Flu, TechnologyMead Over recently wrote compellingly about the importance of collective action to strengthen surveillance of the swine flu and other contagious diseases. A major issue, of course, is the cost of such surveillance measures, the timely receipt of data on potential infections, and the accuracy (and completeness) of such information. Mobile phones may be part of the solution. Mexico, for example, with some 110 million people, has only 1.5 doctors per 1,000 people but by 2005 already had some 44 million cell phone subscribers. It seems a safe bet that by now half the population has a cell phone. Can we tap this huge information network for public health? Read More… 2 Comments »Cash (or Food?) for Thought: The Debate on Cash versus Food Isn’t Over (Yet)March 2, 2009By Jenny Aker in Food Crisis, Migration and Labor Mobility Tags: Food CrisisThis is a joint posting with Cindy Prieto 2 Comments »Food Aid, With a TwistNovember 3, 2008By Jenny Aker in Food Aid, Food Crisis, Global Development, Migration and Labor Mobility Tags: Food Aid, Food CrisisThis is a joint posting with Rebecca Schutte 3 Comments »
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