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Since 1957, the African Studies Association (ASA) has converged individuals with academic and professional interests in Africa, and served as the leading North American organization promoting the academic study of that continent. This year, IMTFI sponsored a panel at ASA’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C. In line with the conference theme “50 Years of African Liberation,” the IMTFI panel was titled “Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion in Africa: What We Know After 50 Years of Liberation.”
Out of the conference’s 214 panels, the IMTFI-sponsored panel was the only one that focused on contemporary financial services and the poor. The panel highlighted major findings from 4 of 20 research projects focusing on various countries in Africa that IMTFI has funded over the past 3 years. Presenters examined pathways and obstacles to achieving financial inclusion for the poor in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
Collectively, the presentations highlight financial inclusion and exclusion of the poor in various countries as part of Africa’s reality 50 years after liberation. While mobile money products may provide a means to achieve financial opportunities for underserved populations, the introduction of such products should not ignore cultural practices that may shape their uptake and perceived utility.
Working papers based on the presentations will be available at the IMFI website in January 2012.
*These projects were conducted with collaborators.
Photo courtesy of Vivian Dzokoto. Pictured left to right: Vivian Dzokoto, Francis Wambalaba, Alice Shemi, & Mesfin Fikere
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