SDG1: No Poverty
Why it matters
SDG 1 focuses on eradicating poverty, providing equal access to economic resources and building the resilience of the poor. Based on current trends, 575 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030 and only about one third of countries will meet the target to halve national poverty levels[1].
The industry’s contribution
Mobile is used by around two thirds of the world’s poorest 40% (equivalent to 2.1 billion people)[2], an increase of 560 million people since 2015. This serves as a platform for users to access government services, search for work and obtain information about products and services.
Mobile plays an integral role in reducing the financial exclusion gap in LMICs. There were 1.6 billion registered mobile money accounts by the end of 2022, which was almost four times the number of registered accounts (430 million) in 2015. Mobile can help people to lift themselves out of poverty by helping them to better manage their cash flow, handle risk and build working capital.
Mobile technology also contributes to SDG 1 by driving sustainable economic growth. As a general-purpose technology, mobile drives improvements in productivity and efficiency in other sectors and the wider economy. It enables both rural and non-rural firms – especially small and medium-sized enterprises – to reach more customers in non-local markets, which in turn allows them to expand and create new jobs for local communities.
No Data Found
Maximising mobile’s impact by 2030
Deploying networks to the final 5% of the population still lacking mobile broadband coverage will be crucial to maximising mobile’s contribution to SDG 1. The remaining uncovered communities – which are predominantly rural, poor and sparsely populated – are the most challenging to reach in a financially sustainable manner. Regulators need to provide the best possible enabling environment by ensuring pro-investment and pro-innovation policies that reduce costs and uncertainty.
By being inclusive and an enabler we help the government, businesses and entrepreneurs to be efficient and productive so they can realise their maximum effect on the national digital transformation, job creation and bridging economic inequality.
Especially with telebirr, our mobile money platform, government services are made accessible at people's finger tips, digital financial services are made available on mobile devices and access to non-collateral micro loans are made possible for millions of people in a very short period of time."
Case Studies
