Remittance on Demand: Platform Wages, Mobile Money, and the Temporal Discipline of Migrant Gig Work in Lagos and Accra

This study is about gig drivers in Lagos and Accra who earn money in small, unpredictable trips and can send that money home instantly using mobile money. Because the transfer is so fast, their families learn to expect money the moment it is earned, a constant “send now” pressure. The research shows that this pressure turns the driver into a buffer for the whole family’s daily needs, with every trip quickly turned into a remittance. In Ghana, where mobile money is super smooth, any delay feels like a personal refusal. In Nigeria, where cash is still common and drivers must visit an agent first, the extra step gives a small breather but still causes family suspicion. The study also finds that return migrants and women face even harsher judgment. Finally, it argues that the small fees taken by mobile money companies act like a modern version of colonial taxes, a tax on caring for your family, taken quietly from every transfer. In short, the same technology that helps workers support their loved ones also exhausts their time, their relationships, and their pockets.