Adopting and practicing resource nationalism in Africa: A case of Tanzania's State Mining Corporation

Abstract

Many resource-rich countries in Africa have at one time or the other resorted to resource nationalism in a bid to increase economic benefits and bolster state and public participation. But has this translated into improved resource governance? With a focus on Tanzania's State Mining Corporation (STAMICO), this paper critically examines whether the adoption of resource nationalism results in actual practice and improved resource governance. The paper shows that the pattern has been the same throughout: adoption of resource nationalist measures has not automatically translated into actual practice in terms of improved resource governance capacity. State enterprises have been established but the state has not injected capital into them to enable them spearhead resource nationalism into what the state wants to achieve. Consequently, resource nationalism appears to be politically motivated as a strategy to address opposition without having to invest into birthing what resource nationalism aspires to achieve.

Keywords

• Resource nationalism
• State owned enterprises
• STAMICO
• Tanzania