Panel 51: The West African Global Oil Frontier: Partnerships and Priorities for Environmental Justice, Security and Sustainable Development

West Africa petro-states as one of the latest global oil frontiers stand to reap huge windfalls from rising global demand for their oil exports, but they also face fundamental challenges regarding economic growth, poverty reduction, stability, security and sustainable development. Their interactions and partnerships with oildependent global powers call for fresh ideas, and theoretical, analytical and policy-relevant perspectives to ensure that new oil states such as Mauritania, Ghana, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and Sao Tome and Principe, and established ones like Nigeria, Gabon, Congo Republic and Angola, can fully engage the challenge of (re) defining their partnerships and priorities for resource governance, environmental justice, security and sustainable development. Panel Participants are invited to reflect on, and debate the various global partnerships that can promote good resource governance and environmentally sustainable practices in the new oil states, and engage with challenges posed by environmental-related grievances and conflicts, and security-related problems in established oil states like Nigeria, the largest oil-producing country in the region.

Drawing on case studies, comparative studies from other regions in the continent, the role of non-state actors, and regional and inter-disciplinary perspectives, the panel will examine the (actual and potential) impact of the oil/energy sector—and its environmental consequences, how to avoid the ‘oil curse’ and define priorities and partnerships that facilitate the use oil for the benefit of the people based on environmental justice, conflict resolution and sustainable development.