Study of Mobile Money Adoption and Telecommunications Infrastructure Dependency in Kogi State

Mobile money services represent a transformative financial inclusion tool in Nigeria, yet their effective operation is directly dependent on the quality and reliability of the underlying telecommunications network infrastructure. This study examines mobile money adoption rates and the role of telecommunications infrastructure quality in determining adoption outcomes in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining structured questionnaires administered to 280 rural and semi-urban residents and key informant interviews with eight mobile money agents and two telecommunications company representatives. Network quality parameters including signal strength and data availability were measured at agent locations during peak transaction periods. Results indicate that mobile money adoption in Kogi State stood at 31%, substantially below the national average of 47%. The most frequently cited barriers to adoption were poor network connectivity (cited by 68% of non-adopters), lack of nearby agent locations, and limited digital literacy. Areas with reliable 3G or 4G data connectivity demonstrated adoption rates 2.4 times higher than areas with only 2G coverage. The study establishes a statistically significant positive correlation between network data quality and mobile money usage frequency. Recommendations include telecommunications investment in rural Kogi communities as an explicit enabler of financial inclusion, expansion of USSD-based transaction fallback systems, and community agent training programs. Keywords: mobile money, financial inclusion, Kogi State, telecommunications, adoption.