Mining experiences shapes the petroleum sector in Tanzania

Tanzania is projected to become one of world’s major exporters of natural gas within in the coming twenty years and has, as many other resource-rich African countries, recently drafted local content policies for their petroleum sector. In this paper, Senior Researcher Siri Lange (CMI) and Dr. Abel Kinyondo (REPOA) highlights the importance of understanding the role of political institutions, historical factors as well as the politics of identity and social justice when exploring the public debates concerning resource nationalism and local content and how that has consequences for the petroleum sector.

Highlights from the paper

• Discontent with mining has contributed to calls for resource nationalism in Tanzania’s petroleum sector.

• The Tanzanian case demonstrates the importance of viewing resource nationalism from a historical and political perspective.

• The petroleum legislations that were put in place in 2015 were relatively soft, reflecting a fear of scaring off investors.

• In Tanzania, other acts play an important role for local content.

• Scholars need to consider the legislative framework as a whole, as well as implementation, rather than focusing on the mining/petroleum acts only.

The paper, “Resource nationalism and local content in Tanzania: Experiences from mining and consequences for the petroleum sector”, published in the journal The Extractive Industries and Society is available online. Click here.