The shifting of workers from agriculture to other more productive sectors is defined in academic circles as structural transformation. Tanzania’s experience with structural transformation looks...Show moreThe shifting of workers from agriculture to other more productive sectors is defined in academic circles as structural transformation. Tanzania’s experience with structural transformation looks different. Instead of manufacturing, labour in Tanzania appears to move from agriculture to the services sector. This structural shift also differs from the development experience in other regions like the United States, Europe, and East Asia. Such a pattern drives us to rethink whether and how the development service sectors can function as an alternative path to achieve sustainable economic growth in Tanzania without a robust manufacturing sector. This research thesis adopts a mixed method between quantitative and qualitative approaches to understand the role of manufacturing, service and servicification activities in determining the pattern of structural transformation in Tanzania from 1961 to 2021. Two disciplinary approaches are combined. First, the historical description is adopted to present Tanzania’s economic development trajectory. Secondly, in this trajectory, methods and materials are adapted from economics, to show with macroeconomic data how the country’s national economy has evolved over time. Focus is placed on policies that were implemented as well as the turning points where shifts become obvious in national economic processes. This thesis found that the service sector could enhance Tanzania’s economic growth and development if linked to industrial activities, specifically manufacturing. In general, the structural transformation from agriculture to the industrial sector in Tanzania still generated the highest growth and gains in worker productivity, except after the Arusha Declaration between 1967 and 1985. It is difficult for late industrialised countries, such as Tanzania, which lacks a strong manufacturing core, to pursue industrialisation and compete with what East Asian countries have achieved. However, the servicification of manufacturing provides an opportunity to bypass the manufacturing stage and keep up with the recent trend of global industrialisation.Show less
The world has witnessed many years of advocacy and attempts to improve the lives of menstruating women. This was done by trying to address access to sanitary products and facilities, as well as a...Show moreThe world has witnessed many years of advocacy and attempts to improve the lives of menstruating women. This was done by trying to address access to sanitary products and facilities, as well as a non-material threat – the menstrual stigma. Kenya is no exception to this, and in fact, it has been considered at the forefront of menstrual awareness campaigns in the Global South with its ‘free pads for schoolgirls’ policy and menstrual health management agenda. Yet in the context of all that, 2019 was shaken by a girl committing suicide after feeling the shame of leaking in school, and 2023 began with a “scandal” of a Kenyan senator who was sent home for wearing blood-stained pants. These medialized events and many others happening in the private lives of ordinary people highlight that the menstrual stigma is still very present and powerful. For this reason, this research attempted to find out how women in Kenya talk about menstruation in a private, family context in ways that influence the cultural knowledge and understanding of young women, and how these young women engage with this information to reinforce or change perceptions. It was found that there is still considerable silence and stigma surrounding the transmission of period-related knowledge, which reproduces menstrual stigma among young women. Nonetheless, the younger generation is influenced by their own experience, current campaigns, and social media to become more open and approachable parents in the future.Show less
This work starts with two interrogatives, asking whether Zimbabwean immigrants in Botswana contribute to the economy, and to what extent they are integrated in the country. To understand these...Show moreThis work starts with two interrogatives, asking whether Zimbabwean immigrants in Botswana contribute to the economy, and to what extent they are integrated in the country. To understand these issues, a historical framework is outlined to understand the Zimbabwean migratory flows to Botswana. Therefore, an analysis of the economic movements created by Zimbabwean immigrants in Botswana, both documented and undocumented ones, is conducted on the basis of quantitive and qualitative data collected during fieldwork research in Gaborone at the beginning of 2023. Overall, this work shows that Zimbabwean immigrants generate enormous amounts of money yearly in Botswana. On the other hand, it cannot be easily said that Zimbabweans are integrated into the country. While they are now a normalized presence in it and feel so accordingly, they do not enjoy structural integration.Show less
The arts have proven to be a transformative force for social change in the Senegalese context (Dimé, 2022; Gueye, 2013). This interdisciplinary study deploys an artistic lens to analyse the ...Show moreThe arts have proven to be a transformative force for social change in the Senegalese context (Dimé, 2022; Gueye, 2013). This interdisciplinary study deploys an artistic lens to analyse the “migration” situation, as artists are an emerging actor in the Senegalese “migration” discourse. It adopts a more reflective stance in the study of “migration”-related art by exploring what knowledge Senegalese artists and artistic practices produce about “migration”. Through ethnographic fieldwork and in-depth interviews, this research includes a series of reflections on artistic practices and the stories voiced by artists. The analysis follows the storyline of the documentary Bataaxal and is divided into four parts. The first focuses on the feeling that is produced by the aesthetic elements of art and how this is relates to politics, by drawing on the work of Jacques Rancière (2003). The second subsequently focuses on the narrator’s memories, emotions, words, and phrases and how these are involved in the production of meaning. The third section then turns to a comparison between the broader thematic foci that are covered by the artists and their works. Conversely, the fourth section locates the role of place and time in the production of artistic practices. How these findings relate to existing academic work is then analysed in the discussion. Finally, the study concludes by reaffirming that artists are deeply rooted within “migration” discourses; however, the artists and their knowledge are intertwined with their milieu, as much as the created art is related to the construction of the phenomenon of “migration”. As a result, the transformative capacity of art is questionable, as the art may inadvertently reproduce dominant and problematic narratives that have been constructed by government policies and international organisations to frame people on the move as a problem.Show less
Casa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic...Show moreCasa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic Slave Trade had taken their forefathers away from. Although it was a National Monument and should have been protected under Nigerian heritage law, it was illegally demolished on 11 September 2016. How could this prime example of Brazilian-style architecture have been destroyed in broad daylight? This thesis uses Casa do Fernandez as a case study to explore the challenges of preserving built heritage in Nigeria. In the process, it tries to figure out why there is so little knowledge about the history of a building declared a National Monument over sixty years ago. The story of the monument turns out to be different than always assumed. After researching the building’s history, the focus is turned to heritage: the way the present interacts with the past. Could the way Casa do Fernandez has been defined as heritage have something to do with its sad end? The thesis argues that the rigid definition of Casa do Fernandez as strictly Afro-Brazilian heritage detached the site of its cultural meaning to other groups in society and sowed the seeds of the eventual demise of the National Monument. It is a plea for a wider and more inclusive interpretation of this heritage-site in particular and of heritage in general.Show less
Since the beginning of this millennium, mobile phone penetration has risen remarkably worldwide and has been accompanied by an associated increase in mHealth solutions. These technological...Show moreSince the beginning of this millennium, mobile phone penetration has risen remarkably worldwide and has been accompanied by an associated increase in mHealth solutions. These technological solutions are believed to enhance access to healthcare. Not only are institutions from Africa implementing these services for African societies, but also institutions from the Global North. Research has found that the consideration of local contexts and collaboration are crucial steps in the creation of mHealth solutions, which raises questions about the motivations and ways of working of European institutions. This thesis aims to answer why mHealth is perceived as a relevant solution for Africa and what factors are influential in mHealth and to shed light on the humane aspects around mHealth.Show less
Although international media houses have focused on Boko Haram as the biggest contributor to violence in northern Nigeria, ethnic conflict has caused significantly more casualties in the past few...Show moreAlthough international media houses have focused on Boko Haram as the biggest contributor to violence in northern Nigeria, ethnic conflict has caused significantly more casualties in the past few years. This instability has been exacerbated by increases in criminality, terrorism, desertification, and drought that has changed land-use patterns. I argue that the rapid increase in access to Information and Communication Technologies, and especially social media, has created violent conditions by enabling discursive warfare in online spaces, where incendiary rhetoric circulates and is consumed faster than older media forms like newspapers or radio. Using the concept of cultural violence (Galtung 1990) as an umbrella term, this thesis will discuss how the presence of prominent societal norms and ideas legitimize violent discourses and dangerous speech online, which are continuously reinforced and reproduced. In Nigeria, online discourses reveal how dominant beliefs and ethnic labels have become so embedded within the culture that they function as absolute and remain uncontested. As these ideologies spread exponentially on social media, alongside other fake news or misinformation from local news organisations, this has the potential to normalise direct violence. My thesis will focus on this discursive warfare online, and will not attempt to explain how or whether it translates to direct violence because the ramifications of cultural violence are often not immediately visible, but persist and prevail more insidiously, over a longer period of time.Show less
This thesis provides an analysis of three marginal historical movements from the inter-war period in the 20th century; German neocolonialism, Japanese Pan-Asianism and Pan-Africanism. All three...Show moreThis thesis provides an analysis of three marginal historical movements from the inter-war period in the 20th century; German neocolonialism, Japanese Pan-Asianism and Pan-Africanism. All three movements represent trends that present alternative views of the dominant ideologies of the century which they were ultimately suppressed by with the onset of the Second World War. Based on what documentation they left behind however, a model can be constructed that attempts to explain how these movements could have survived or otherwise have seen a resurgence in the absence of global liberalism and communism. Alternative histories found in video games, such as the popular Hearts of Iron IV expansion made by its (non-academic) community The New Order: Last Days of Europe provide an opportunity to put this model into practice, but the shortcomings in its existing narrative regarding Africa must first be addressed.Show less
The introduction of biometric SIM card registration in January 2020 requiring proof of citizenship or legal status highlighted the critical importance of mobile telephony to the livelihoods of...Show moreThe introduction of biometric SIM card registration in January 2020 requiring proof of citizenship or legal status highlighted the critical importance of mobile telephony to the livelihoods of refugees in Dar-es-Salaam. Under the Tanzanian asylum regime, legally registered refugees are neither allowed to leave their camps nor work formally. On the other hand, urban refugees with no legal status depend on mobile connectivity for creating a livelihood informally. With formal employment opportunities limited even for Tanzanian citizens, new forms of mobility in the digital era and translocal connections become lifelines for new opportunities. This thesis explores the ways in which youth in Dar-es-Salaam, both refugees and citizens, creatively use and appropriate mobile phones and social media to navigate their livelihoods. Based on interviews, focus group discussions, and digital observations during three months of research in Dar-es-Salaam, this thesis identifies three common ways of using mobile phone and social media for income generation outside of secure employment: digitally mediated communication with financial supporters, intermediation in sales transactions, and commerce via social media. The findings suggest that the interplay of both online and offline and local and translocal networks allows urban youth to capitalize on their social ties successfully. While this inventive appropriation of mobile technology enables youth to overcome the challenges of urban life, this thesis also highlights the limitations of digital mobility in resolving structural inequalities.Show less
In today’s interconnected world, inclusive development necessitates every community to participate by contributing its unique knowledge in diversity. The rapidly advancing multi-media and...Show moreIn today’s interconnected world, inclusive development necessitates every community to participate by contributing its unique knowledge in diversity. The rapidly advancing multi-media and technological environment gives each citizen with a mobile phone the capacity to record their experience and share it instantly with the world via the internet yet the gradually disappearing cultural identity of the Iteso remains under researched. This multimodal work provides insight into Iteso cultural identity by archiving and analysing the Iteso traditional music and performance corpus, finding alternatives to ensure continuity of Iteso Knowledge in this error where the oral traditions are vanishing while urbanization and internationalization evict younger Iteso generations from their local villages of socialization with a promise of a better and modern life The introduction gives you insights into my main questions, purpose, motivation for this as well as my justification for this research. Chapter 3 is my methodology while in Chapter 4, I give a summary of the corpus in my video story plus some featured traditional instruments and a link to my findings in form of a video story in which I give answers to most of my research questions. I elaborate the question of Iteso identity in terms of origin, migration, basic characteristics, dressing, evolving, marriage customs, political structure, food and majoring on their music in relation to my own personal journey as an Iteso musician who left my village 20 years ago yet doing my best to keep in contact with my roots. In chapter 5, I draw conclusions and recommendations including the reality that Iteso culture could disappear with the next 50 years, yet there is no need to worry or merely complaining about this erosion, instead, we should maximize technology to archive a hybrid form of orality making it available in all modern formats, the “the internet never forgets”! Whereas a post-colonial renewal of Iteso cultural identity and knowledge is slowly happening as myself and my partners are establishing new avenues of reviving Iteso cultural music through Akogo Festival, Africa Safari Festival as well as my continuous archival research and music tours, I recommend more Afrocentric and citizen research to cover all aspects of the Iteso society. Also pertinent is a revival in the Iteso chieftaincy to drift away from English structuring and naming of Iteso a sacred organization that symbolizes Iteso pride, they should abandone the Iteso cultural union brand and adopt Ateker Iteso or concentrate on Einos Iteso Kopitane. A symbol of Iteso pride should be in Ateso not foreign languagesShow less
This thesis explores the potential of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) to improve mining governance in Sub-Saharan Africa for inclusive and sustainable growth and development. It examines the...Show moreThis thesis explores the potential of multi-stakeholder platforms (MSPs) to improve mining governance in Sub-Saharan Africa for inclusive and sustainable growth and development. It examines the challenges and opportunities of contemporary mining, highlighting the importance of accountability, transparency and representation in decision-making processes. Transformative governance is found to necessitate multi-stakeholder collaboration and mining-engaged MSPs are proposed as holistic initiatives to this end. The 5-2-3 model is introduced to guide mining-engaged platforms in conflict mitigation through trust-building and continuous reflection. Findings from a stakeholder-informed case study of Sierra Leone show that mining-engaged MSPs can promote inclusive and sustainable mining governance.Show less
Nigeria is facing large problems with food security. The country is ranked 100th (out of 113) on the Global Food Security Index, and the statistics on hunger, poverty, malnourishment, are not...Show moreNigeria is facing large problems with food security. The country is ranked 100th (out of 113) on the Global Food Security Index, and the statistics on hunger, poverty, malnourishment, are not painting a much more positive image (The Economist, 2020). President Muhammadu Buhari and his government consider agriculture to be the path to food security in Nigeria. Over the years, several policies have been installed to launch the agricultural sector into development, increase domestic food production, and decrease food imports. These policies are not undisputed. Critics argue that the Nigerian government acts erratic and that the implementation of the policies is lacking. Although the goals of the policies seem to be in line with what the sector needs, in spite of the efforts, the sector has not managed to significantly increase production and Nigeria remains food insecure. This paper aims to contribute to the debate by investigating why there is such a big gap between the policymaking and positive results. To this aim I will identify the threats to the Nigerian food security, conduct a thorough analysis of the standing agricultural policies of the Buhari administration, give an assessment of their effectiveness, and in addition, I will research the producers’ perspectives on the policies by doing interviews. I find that the policies touch upon the right subjects; the goals and challenges are defined in line with what the agricultural sector needs, but the implementation is seriously lacking. Therefore, the agricultural sector is unable to develop and Nigeria remains food insecure.Show less
