Contribution:

Research note drawing on some recent/forthcoming research to think about the connections between (post) colonial states, extractive modes of development, and the persistence of colonial-era financial centres.

Why would you like to speak in this workshop?:

I'm excited about the format and topic for the workshop, which speaks well to some themes I'm trying to develop in current work about the links between commodity export dependence and the uneven development of financial systems in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly focused on Senegal, Kenya, and Ghana. The persistence of colonial-era financial centres, and the ways those are being repositioned in the present (e.g. through Nairobi's role in the development of fintech) are of particular interest. I like the idea of a forward-looking workshop aiming to develop a wider research agenda, and the connections between finance, extractivism, and climate hinted at in the abstract speak well to my current and planned future work. I've got pieces recently published touching on the historical links between agricultural development and financial centres in Senegal, Ghana, and Kenya, and in progress on the role of the state in reproducing uneven financial geographies in Ghana. The research note would draw on these to pull out some reflections on research directions dealing with the links between the state, extractive development, and financial centres.