Piping Away Development: The Material Evolution of Resource Nationalism in Mtwara, Tanzania

The article explores the evolution of resource nationalism at a local level through the construction of infrastructure. It argues that, in Mtwara, resource nationalism was combined with local perceptions and demands that were shaped through the construction of different forms of infrastructure. The discovery of gas was accompanied by infrastructure in the forms of increased electricity generation and access, improved roads, and construction of new buildings. There were also plans and promises for industrial development utilising gas both as a raw resource in production and as fuel for electricity generation. These provided the confirmation that natural gas was to act as a modernising force for the region and boost economic and social development. Perceptions changed with the confirmation that a pipeline would be constructed to transport gas from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam for electricity generation, causing protests and riots. The completion of the pipeline, combined with the government’s response to the protests, resulted in a change in the perception of what gas can provide for the region. With gas now going to Dar es Salaam, it has also symbolically removed the bedrock of a local gas-based developmental imaginary. Instead, gas has added to the historical grievances that many in the region perceive.