Mustapha Manga - Doctoral Thesis Prize winner
Research topic and supervisor
Research Topic: Mainstreaming Strategic Thinking in Policy Making for new Oil and Gas Frontiers in Nigeria through a transition to Strategic Environmental Assessment
Research: Mustapha's doctoral thesis advances a notion that as attention turns to opening new frontiers to potential oil and gas exploration and development in Nigeria, it is imperative to mainstream strategic thinking to planning and impact assessment to inform the preparation of energy development strategy and environmental management framework for the emerging regions and, in doing so, identify strategies and priorities for future management and development while enhancing the efficacy of traditional project-level EIA. Inspired by ideas from transition management theory, the thesis offers a new context and analysis of the prospects of a transition from project-level assessment to a strategic-level approach by identifying critical decision factors and transition pathways as well as developing a framework to facilitate the transition in Nigeria's oil and gas industry.
Lead supervisor: Dr Paola Gazzola
How I feel about being awarded the DC Thesis Prize
"I am deeply honoured and immensely delighted to have been awarded the Doctoral College Thesis Prize. It is incredibly rewarding to see the quality and rigour of my research recognized with such a prestigious award from the Doctoral College at Newcastle University, United Kingdom." Mustapha Manga.
Supervisors comments
Dr Paola Gazzola, Head of the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, who was Mustapha's lead PhD supervisor, said: "I congratulate Mustapha on this Doctoral College Thesis prize, which is very well deserved. Mustapha's doctoral thesis developed a transition-based EIA framework for Nigeria's oil and gas sector, which identifies transition pathways in which mainstreaming a strategic approach to planning and impact assessment can complement and enhance the efficacy of the existing project-level EIA to inform coordinated and long-term sustainable policies, plans and programmes decision on opening new frontier basins to potential hydrocarbon exploration and development. By defining a new functionality of multi-level perspective of transition theory within the Nigerian oil and gas environmental management regime, Mustapha’s doctoral study contributes knowledge to broader environmental management and sustainability domain.
Professor Zeynep Kezer, Director of Postgraduate Research, said: "I am delighted to hear that Mustapha was awarded the Doctoral College Thesis Prize this year. I know it was exhausting in the run-up to the finish line, but this is extremely great news. Congratulations as well to your supervisory team, who must be enormously proud of your good work."
Future career and next steps
As an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), my future career aspirations are centred around making a significant impact within academia and the research community.