Do high mobile phone coverage, high mobile phone penetration, and resounding success of mobile financial services (MFS) in a different market in the same geographic region predict its successful adoption? Not necessarily. Research indicates that 73% of Ghanaians live in an area covered by mobile phone services, and mobile phone penetration in Ghana is 65%. Based on these statistics, and given the success of MFS in Kenya, a high degree of market penetration was anticipated for Ghana. However, despite the presence of MFS in Ghana since 2009, adoption has been slow. Given the increasingly recognized potential of MFS in global financial inclusion efforts, it makes sense to investigate barriers to adoption within relevant cultural contexts. In this seminar, Dr. Vivian Afi Abui Dzokoto and Dr. Edwin "Cliff" Mensah will discuss their IMTFI-funded research on the barriers to uptake of MFS within a Ghanaian field-based context.

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