Incorporating Biometric And Mobile Systems In Social Safety Nets In Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This paper measured poverty and corruption in Sub-Saharan Africa and modelled a biometric/mobile solution for curbing corrupt practices in social safety programmes. This is against the backdrop that efforts to better the lives of the vulnerable groups - unemployed, rural poor, women and persons with disabilities - are being frustrated by corruption in social security schemes mounted by various government to cater for these groups. The fallout is that planned benefits don't get to the target audience, precipitating conflicts and social tensions. Even more worrisome is that this segment of the society becomes easy recruits for social menace like kidnapping, terrorism, vandalism, prostitution, among others. Using Nigeria as case study, the study applied biometric system for the documentation and authentication of social safety net beneficiaries so that only genuine persons get the social benefits. Equally, mobile applications and devices are integrated for disseminating information about planned and released social packages from government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to the target audience. The research resulted in an integrated Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) design that substantially mitigates corrupt practices in social safety nets.