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By Gadiosa Lamtey
Natural resource fuelled social conflicts in African countries have been associated with governments’ failure to set long term resource management plans especially for oil and natural gas extraction.
Research findings by the College of Social Sciences in the University of Dar es Salaam have it that because governments do not set up appropriate plans, foreign firms and indigenous communities end up in conflict.
Generally, people around the areas where resources are discovered have large expectations that their life standards will improve only to discover little to no change in their livelihood.
Speaking on the sidelines of the First Voice of Social Sciences International Conference earlier this week in Dar es Salaam, University of Dar es Salaam, College of Social Sciences lecturer, Dr John Jingu, called upon the government to set long term management strategies for the extraction of natural gas in Mtwara Region.
“The government should also consider the interest of public when coming up with strategies,” he urged.
“The government must work with local experts in preparation of policies instead of letting everything bedone by foreigners,” the don advised.
“Many countries in Africa that discovered natural gas and oil have entered into conflicts…the conflicts are between locals and foreign companies because of the lack of long term strategies to manage the resources,” he said.
“We don’t want our country to follow suit but rather, the government must foresee and overcome such outcomes,” he added.
UDSM Masters Degree student Onesmo Olengurumo said many African countries lack resource management knowledge and this leads to conflict among wananchi, the government and foreign companies.
The two-day conference was themed ‘Achieving Sustainability in an Interconnected World’ and brought together over 200 academicians from different countries in Africa.
Natural resource fuelled social conflicts in African countries have been associated with governments’ failure to set long term resource management plans especially for oil and natural gas extraction.
Research findings by the College of Social Sciences in the University of Dar es Salaam have it that because governments do not set up appropriate plans, foreign firms and indigenous communities end up in conflict.
Generally, people around the areas where resources are discovered have large expectations that their life standards will improve only to discover little to no change in their livelihood.
Speaking on the sidelines of the First Voice of Social Sciences International Conference earlier this week in Dar es Salaam, University of Dar es Salaam, College of Social Sciences lecturer, Dr John Jingu, called upon the government to set long term management strategies for the extraction of natural gas in Mtwara Region.
“The government should also consider the interest of public when coming up with strategies,” he urged.
“The government must work with local experts in preparation of policies instead of letting everything bedone by foreigners,” the don advised.
“Many countries in Africa that discovered natural gas and oil have entered into conflicts…the conflicts are between locals and foreign companies because of the lack of long term strategies to manage the resources,” he said.
“We don’t want our country to follow suit but rather, the government must foresee and overcome such outcomes,” he added.
UDSM Masters Degree student Onesmo Olengurumo said many African countries lack resource management knowledge and this leads to conflict among wananchi, the government and foreign companies.
The two-day conference was themed ‘Achieving Sustainability in an Interconnected World’ and brought together over 200 academicians from different countries in Africa.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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