Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the spatiality of local content in the EACOP project in Tanzania. It will argue that the temporary nature of the project and international investment have aided a centralisation of 'local' content and has hindered potential longer-term developmental benefits in the periphery.

Paper long abstract:

This paper will examine the implementation of local content policies in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) by the Tanzanian Government. Costing $3.5bn and spanning Uganda and Tanzania, the pipeline is one of the largest cross-border infrastructure projects in the history of East Africa. The amount of capital involved, and the limited amount of time of investment, has provided a catalyst for the increase of the implementation of local content policies and increased public awareness of such policies. This is to such an extent that both the Government of Tanzania and the private sector see this project as an experiment in local content. However, in reality this has led towards a centralisation of local content at the expense of those closest to the project, with opportunities primarily occurring in Dar es Salaam. This has led to the question, how 'local' is local content? Using a geographical perspective, this paper will argue that while EACOP has provided the catalyst amongst the private sector for local content participation, it has led to a centralisation of the policy, and a neglect of enacting preparations of local content in areas where the project is occurring. This lack of preparation in the periphery has ensured that local content will fail in the region before construction has started. This paper will speak to broader debates on local content, resource nationalism and development, and using a geographical perspective, it will provide a different theoretical viewpoint on emerging resource nationalism and local content literature.