TITLE:
Use of Mobile Phones for Economic Development in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Kingsley L. Ngange, Primus Beng
KEYWORDS:
Mobile Phone Use, Adoption, Development, Catalyst, Traders
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Journalism and Communication,
Vol.5 No.2,
June
30,
2017
ABSTRACT: Research concerning mobile phones and economic development in Africa has undergone rapid growth in recent years. This paper evaluates the rate at which Cameroonians use mobile phones to carry out their day-to-day business trans- actions and to a larger extent, investigate the type of business development brought about by mobile phones. It measures the extent to which mobile phones have enhanced business transactions among traders. In all, 100 questionnaires were administered on a face-to-face basis to business people in Buea, capital of the South West Region. The findings reveal that traders in Molyko rely mostly on mobile phones for business transactions (99%). Mobile phones have improved on their businesses by creating more business contacts (25.2%) and have brought trade closer to both producers and consumers. The data equally reveal that the use of mobile phones in business is an effective communication tool among traders (36.4%). Conclusively, the study reduces the gap between traders and consumers, which is a clear reality on the ground despites the challenges accompanying mobile phone use. Consequently, it recommends the full integration of this communication device (mobile phone) in all business transactions in Molyko in particular and other parts of Cameroon in general.