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Ending youth unemployment in sub‐saharan Africa: Does ICT development have any role?
Author(s) -
Metu Amaka G.,
Ajudua Emmanuel,
Eboh Ifeoma,
Ukeje Chimezie,
Madichie Chekwube
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
african development review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.654
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1467-8268
pISSN - 1017-6772
DOI - 10.1111/1467-8268.12479
Subject(s) - unemployment , youth unemployment , instrumental variable , information and communications technology , mobile phone , the internet , internet access , economics , generalized method of moments , government (linguistics) , panel data , demographic economics , business , labour economics , economic growth , telecommunications , engineering , econometrics , computer science , linguistics , philosophy , world wide web
This study investigates the role of information and communication technology (ICT) development towards ending youth unemployment in the 48 sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) countries from 1991 to 2018. Using a dynamic panel modelling technique, the study employed the instrumental variable (IV) regression, within the framework of the system generalized method of moment (GMM‐SYS) estimator. The results show that the low level of mobile phone subscriptions, broadband internet subscriptions, Wi‐Fi internet subscriptions and internet bandwidth exert a significant negative effect on youth unemployment. This means that ICT development reduces youth unemployment in SSA. Also, it was found that the number of households with access to computers has a negative but insignificant effect on youth unemployment; this shows the ineffective role of household computers in reducing youth unemployment in SSA. Based on these findings, we recommend among other things that, for government to optimize the expanding youth population, there is the need for further telecommunication reforms to reduce the cost of mobile phone technologies and improved ultra‐modern internet facilities in the region.