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Japhace Poncian

Name
Japhace Balwegilila Poncian

Academic Rank
Senior Lecturer

Department
History, Political Science, and Development Studies

Biography

Biography

Japhace Poncian, PhD is a senior lecturer of Politics and Development Studies in the Department of History, Political Science and Development Studies. He holds a PhD in Politics from the University of Newcastle, Australia, an MA in Global Development and Africa from University of Leeds, and a BA (Education) from the University of Dar es Salaam. He researches on the political economy of extractive resource and development, resource governance, community engagement and the politics of energy. His research outputs have appeared in internationally acclaimed outlets including Review of African Political Economy, Energy Research & Social Science, Resource Policy, Extractive Industries and Society, Energy Policy and the African Review. His research has been recognised locally and internationally with awards such as the Ruth First Prize by Review of African Political Economy (2022), Distinguished Researcher of the Year (2024) by Mkwawa University College of Education, Best Multidisciplinary Research Group of the Year (2024) by MUCE and University of Dar es Salaam. He is engaged in various collaborative research projects including Energy Struggles: Renewable Energy in Africa (funded by DANIDA), Resource Nationalism in Southern Africa (funded by Canada’s SSHRC), African Extractivism and the Green Transition (funded by Canada’s SSHRC).

Contacts

Email:

Email Address
japhace.poncian@muce.ac.tz

Research Interest

Research Interest
Political economy of extractive resources and development; Development politics; Energy politics; Community and citizen engagement; Critical minerals and Africa’s international relations

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Projects

Projects

Energy Struggles: Renewable Energy in Africa  (2021-2025)

Resource Nationalism in Southern Africa (2020-2024)

African Extractivism and the Green Transition (2024-2030)

Publications

Publications

  • Poncian, J. & Pedersen, R.H. 2023.  Resource nationalism and energy transitions in lower-income countries: the case of Tanzania. Review of African Political Economy, 150(177-178): 355-373. 

  • Poncian, J. 2023. Between rhetoric and reality: recurrent resource nationalism and the practice of resource governance in Tanzania.  Journal of Southern African Studies, 49(3): 359-375. 

  • Poncian, J. 2023. The governance costs of legislating under a certificate of urgency in Tanzania’s mining sector. Extractive Industries and Society, 15: 101262. 

  • Poncian, J.  2023. Adopting and practicing resource nationalism in Africa: A case of Tanzania's State Mining Corporation.  Social Sciences & Humanities Open 8(1): 100678. 

  • Poncian, J.  & Pedersen, R.H.  2023.  The political economy of energy production in post- independence Tanzania: A review. DIIS Working 2023:01. Copenhagen: DIIS. 

  • Pedersen, R.H.  & Poncian, J.  2023.  The political economy of energy transitions in Africa: politics and power in Tanzania. DIIS Working Paper 2023: 07. Copenhagen: DIIS. 

  • Poncian, J. 2022. Nationalist politics, anti-vaccination and the limits of the rules-based world order in an era of pandemics: The case of Tanzania. In V. Jakupec, M. Kelly & M.  de Percy (Eds.), COVID-19  and  Foreign Aid Nationalism  and  Global Development in a New World Order. Routledge. Chapter 17. 

  • Mpambije, C.J. & Poncian, J. 2022. Security Privatisation and Working Conditions in Tanzania: Why Security Companies Employ Elders. The African Review, 49(4): 461-480. 

  • Poncian, J. 2021. Resource nationalism and community engagement in extractive resource governance: insights from Tanzania. Review of African Political Economy, 48 (170): 529-551. 

  • Poncian, J. 2020. ICT, citizen engagement and the governance of extractive resources in Tanzania:  Documenting the practice and challenges.  Extractive Industries and Society, 7 (4): 1498-1510.

  • Poncian, J.  & Jose, J.  2019. Resource governance and community participation: making hydrocarbon extraction work for Tanzania. Resources Policy, 62: 84-93. 

  • Poncian, J. 2019. When government commitment meets community proactiveness: governing gas and community engagement in Tanzania. Energy Research and Social Science, 52: 78-90. 

  • Poncian, J. 2019. Galvanising political support through resource nationalism: a case of Tanzania’s 2017 extractive sector reforms. Political Geography, 69: 77-88. 

  • Mgonja, M.  & Poncian, J.  2019. Managing outsourcing of revenue collection in Tanzania’s  local government  authorities:  a case  study  of Iringa  Municipal  Council. Local Government Studies, 45 (1): 101-123. 

  • Poncian, J. 2019. Extractive resource ownership and the subnational resource curse: insights from Tanzania. The Extractive Industries and Society, 6(2): 332-342.

  • Poncian, J. & Kigodi, H.M. 2018. Transparency initiatives and Tanzania’s extractive industry governance. Development Studies Research, 5(1): 106-121.

  • Manyerere, D.J. and Poncian, J. 2017. Entering in and sustaining a career in male dominated jobs: an examination of female security guards’ experiences in Iringa region, Tanzania. International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2(3): 241– 262.

  • Poncian, J. 2017. Fighting Corrupt Practices in the Local Government Authorities in Tanzania: The Role of the National Audit Office. In S. Haque, A. Shyaka &G. Mudacumura (Eds.) Democratizing Public Governance in Developing Nations: With Special Reference to Africa. London: Routledge, pp. 201-216.

  • Mgaiwa, S.J. & Poncian, J. 2016. Public–private partnership in higher education provision in Tanzania: implications for access to and quality of education. Bandung: Journal of the Global South, 3(1): 1-21.

  • Poncian, J. 2016. Towards a Gas Led Economy in Tanzania: Potential Challenges. In J. Misati, E. M. Mwenzwa, A. Makinua & E. S. Gudhlanga (Eds.), Public Policy Transformations in Africa: Trends, Challenges and the Future. Rome: EUSER, pp.333-350.

  • Kigodi, H.M. & Poncian, J. 2015. The Gender-Energy Nexus in Tanzania: Assessing Rural Electrification in the Context of Gender Mainstreaming among Women. In P.B. Mihyo & T.E. Mukuna (Eds.), The Gender-Energy Nexus in Eastern and Southern Africa. Addis Ababa: Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA), pp. 59-84.

  • Poncian, J. 2015. Explaining Election Violence in Tanzania: The Interplay between the Union Politics and Electoral Administration and Management. In P.B. Mihyo (Ed), Election Processes, Management and Election-based Violence in Eastern and Southern Africa. Addis Ababa: Organisation for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA), pp. 123-142.

  • Poncian, J. and Kigodi, H.M. 2015. Natural resource conflicts as a struggle for space: the case of mining in Tanzania. International and Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences, 4(3): 147-168.

  • Poncian, J. 2014. Fifty years of the union: the relevance of religion in the Union and Zanzibar statehood debate. The African Review, 41(1): 161-181.