Abstract
:
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to investigate the privatisation process of the electricity sectors in the selected Arab States and Sub-Saharan African countries. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopted a qualitative study to probes the roles of supranational aid institutions, nation-states and transnational electricity companies in the promotion of global electric capitalism in the selected Arab States and Sub-Saharan African countries. Findings – The study revealed that supranational aid agencies and their associates had significant roles in influencing nation-states, especially in developing countries, to create enabling legal and regulatory environments to support transnational corporations to spread global electric capitalism. It was also revealed that globally-oriented local elites were instrumental in linking their nation-states to transnational corporations. Practical implications – This paper demonstrates how supranational aid agencies, working with their associates, exert influence to developing countries to open up their electric power space to transnational corporations in the pursuit of global electric capitalism. Originality/value – The paper provides evidence of the strong relations between supranational aid agencies and transnational corporations in the spread of global capitalism.