Measuring Efficiency Growth Rate in the Pre and Post Deregulation Periods: Wireless Mobile Phone Technology on Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates how marginal impact differential of the availability of wireless mobile phone technology in the health industry has increased the efficiency growth rate of healthcare delivery in Nigeria. It divided the period of study into two – pre and post deregulation periods and compared the econometric coefficients of the regression equations.Using time series data of life expectancy rate as a proxy for efficiency growth rate, simple death rate, phone dependence rate, phone subscription rate variables and other explanatory variables in running simple baseline econometric regression models; the research find increased efficiency growth rate in health care delivery in post deregulation period than in pre deregulation period. The greater availability of mobile telephony technology decreased death rate in post deregulation period than in pre deregulation period by increased availability of health information in Nigeria. above paper argues that the availability of wireless technology helps to reduce the cost of learning and implementing world technology frontier in all sectors of the Nigerian economy and thus that it promotes smoother transfer of technology from technologically-advanced countries to Nigeria and brings significant growth in the economy as a whole. The study finds the Nigerian health sector as the sector with the highest marginal impact from the availability of the wireless mobile phone technology. This implies greater transformation of the sector in efficient service delivery(healthcare), research and sector efficiency growth.