Demanding Power: Do Protests Empower Citizens to Hold Governments Accountable over Energy?

This paper draws together findings from research conducted in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Pakistan

From:: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published: 1 September 2021

Country:: Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan
Document Type:: Working Paper
Theme:: Governance and Conflict, Infrastructure
Authors:: Hossain, N

Abstract

Energy protests are becoming increasingly common and significant around the world. While in the global North concerns tend to centre around climate issues, in the global South the concerns are more often with affordable energy. Both types of protests, however, have one issue in common: the undemocratic nature of energy policymaking. This paper draws together findings from research conducted in 3 countries, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Pakistan to ask how and under which conditions do struggles over energy access in fragile and conflict affected settings empower the powerless to hold public authorities to account? In exploring this theme, the study examines what factors support protests developing into significant episodes of contention within fragile settings, and whether these energy struggles promote citizen empowerment and institutional accountability.

This work is part of the Action for Empowerment and Accountability (A4EA) Research programme

Citation

Hossain, N. et al. (2021) Demanding Power: Do Protests Empower Citizens to Hold Governments Accountable over Energy?, IDS Working Paper 555, Brighton: Institute of Development Studies, DOI: 10.19088/IDS.2021.056