Integrating insights from Mtwara’s lived experiences, this presentation by Genevieve Sekumbo highlights the interplay between promised prosperity and emerging disillusionment, offering critical lessons for reimagining youth engagement and development in extractivist contexts.
Date: 19 March 2025
Time: 12:00 -13:30
Location: Roeterseilandcampus - building B/C/D (entrance B/C)
Room: REC-B9.22 (Common Room Political Science)
Youth Disillusionment and Economic Realities in Tanzania’s Gas Discovery
In this insightful discussion on the dynamics of extractivist development, Genevieve Sekumbo explores how the 2010 discovery of offshore natural gas in Tanzania sparked transformative economic expectations for Mtwara—a historically marginalized region—and reshaped local youth aspirations. Initially heralded as a catalyst for regional growth, the gas rush promised wealth from a resource-rich and highly automated industry. However, stalled investments, contractual disputes, and market downturns soon disrupted these prospects.
Reimagining Youth Transitions in Resource-Dependent Regions: Lessons from Mtwara
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2020 and 2022 during the industry's downturn, Genevieve Sekumbo examines how the gas sector—while ostensibly representing economic growth—has contributed to the limited integration of youth and deepened disillusionment among those targeted by Corporate Social Responsibility.
About Genevieve Sekumbo
Genevieve Sekumbo recently defended her thesis at the Graduate Institute of Geneva in Switzerland. She is currently a researcher in Anthropology and Sociology at the Graduate Institute and serves as a Research Assistant on the ESRC project, "Synthetic Lives: The Futures of Mining."
Genevieve holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Before beginning her Ph.D. program, she worked with several NGOs in Tanzania on projects focused on enhancing livelihood capabilities, promoting financial literacy, and fostering civic engagement.
Her Ph.D. research, building on the findings of her Master’s thesis, delves into the protracted growth of Tanzania's gas industry and its profound impact on the futures, aspirations, and livelihood strategies of young people as they navigate transitions to adulthood.