The informal ICT sector and innovation processes in Senegal

This paper investigates the informal information and communication technology (ICT) sector in Senegal with a view to developing indicators that could be used to improve the understanding of the innovation process. Three approaches are used to gather the information needed for the analysis: a review of literature; a questionnaire to collect data; and, a life story to provide context to the research. The analysis provides examples of innovation in the informal ICT sector and examines the relationship of social factors to these examples. As the informal sector dominates the Senegalese economy, the paper contributes to the understanding of innovation driven economic growth in that sector, and to the factors linked to transition of economic activity from one sector to another.

JEL Code: O31, O33

Key words: Informal economy, innovation indicators, information and communication technologies, ICT, social