Mobile Money Adoption and Performance of Informal Family Enterprises During COVID-19 Lockdown in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out on family enterprises in Ekiti state during COVID-19 Lockdown: to identify socio-economic characteristics of the family enterprises; to determine the types of mobile money adopted; to determine the factors influencing the types of mobile money adopted; and to examine the effect of mobile money adopted on the performance of family enterprises during COVID-19 lockdown in Ekiti state. The study administered questionnaire on one hundred and fifty (150) respondents and retrieved one hundred (100) which was used for the analysis of this study using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Findings from the study shows that majorities of the respondents had Diploma and Degree as their highest certificate. The nature of the family enterprises considered are publishing and printing, metal and aluminum fabrication, poultry and fishery farming and furniture, upholstery and carpentry, leather shoe making, graphic designer, automobiles mechanic and panel beaters, Gas seller, tailoring/fashion designer, and dry cleaners. Findings from the study further shows that the enterprises were self-started, owned through inheritance and while the remaining were acquired. The study findings show the factors that are influencing the adoption of mobile money by family enterprises in Ekiti State such as: perceived electronic fraud among the family enterprises discourages mobile money adoption; perceived ease of use of mobile money among the family enterprises encourages the adoption of mobile money; perceived low cost of service of use of mobile money among the family enterprises encourages the adoption of mobile money; perceived usefulness of mobile money among the family enterprises encourages the adoption of mobile money; low level of knowledge about mobile money (high level of illiteracy) among others. Findings further shows that mobile money adopted by the family enterprises are significantly influencing their performance in Ekiti State Nigeria. The study concluded that family enterprises considered are micro scales, and mostly adopted USSD (unstructured short messages) and mobile app including online banking as mobile money adopted by the selected family enterprises. The enterprises used the mobile money adopted for different transactions such as payment of salaries, products bought from suppliers, payment received on products/services sold/rendered to their customers. The study further concluded that the index factors considered in this study are cogent factors that are really influencing the adoption of mobile money. The study also concluded that mobile money adopted are significantly influencing the performance of the selected family enterprises during COVID-19 Lockdown in Ekiti State Nigeria.