How has oil revenue transparency been institutionalised in the developing world, why and to what effects?And what explains the outcomes of such processes? These are the main questions this dissertation will seek to answer using as its case study Angola, Africa's second largest oil producer and a key case at the centre of global demands for oil revenue transparency in the sub-region.

Regulatory accountability is central to democratic governance. As regulatory institutions and their associated governance arrangements have become more complex, and decision-making ever more distant from the citizen, it is imperative that such institutions and the actors within them are accountable for their actions. This research explores, through the lens of historical institutionalism, the issue of regulatory accountability in the case of the cross-jurisdictional energy market on the island of Ireland which has evolved to implement European and domestic energy policy goals. The research considers the issue of institutional design, persistence and change with a specific focus on accountability within the existing governance framework of the all-island energy market. After mapping and assessing regulatory accountability, the research considers how the issue of accountability should be addressed in terms of institutional design for regulatory governance in a cross-jurisdictional market. Drawing on extensive document analysis and twenty-two in-depth semi-structured interviews with key decision-makers, this research demonstrates, firstly, that the institutional form of non-majoritarian institutions needs to be aligned; that is, that the nature of the institution as a decision-making authority and as a legal entity must be fully coupled. Secondly, there is a need to embed accountability mechanisms (in all three directions: upwards, horizontally and downwards) into the institutional design. This is particularly important as regulatory institutions evolve from being state-centred non-majoritarian institutions into cross-jurisdictional, even regional, institutions for regulatory governance, operating in a decentred, multi-level governance context such as the European Union. Thirdly, the accountability mechanisms need to be periodically assessed and adjusted over time as the institution evolves. This serves to strengthen the institution’s formal and informal accountability arrangements. The research concludes that adopting an institutional perspective provides a useful lens for considering the best means of securing adequate levelsof accountability in regulatory institutions, particularly when these operate in a cross-jurisdictional, multi-level governance context.

This thesis contributes to the research literature by reporting the results of an investigation that explores whether regulatory governance practices in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector are fit for purpose. The rationale for the study originated from issues relating to the management of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector that were identified in the extant literature. These issues were of such significance that their resolution could impact positively and materially on Nigeria’s economy and at the same time the research would fill a gap in the relevant literature. The data for this empirical research were collected using questionnaire and interview instruments and the findings were analysed against a backdrop of the Public Interest Theory of Regulation. The results obtained revealed perceptions of major weaknesses in the regulatory governance practices adopted by Nigeria’s downstream regulatory agencies namely: the regulatory independence of Nigeria’s downstream regulators has declined over time; there are flaws in the accountability practices of Nigeria’s downstream regulators; and there are other related factors such as the absence of openness, poor consultation and a lack of public sensitisation that affect the transparency practices of Nigeria’s downstream regulators. Interestingly, the results also revealed that although Nigeria’s downstream regulators appear to possess the required skills to regulate the sector, their talents are not being fully utilised. Recommendations to resolve the weaknesses identified are made which, if properly and effectively implemented, should have a significant positive impact on the Nigerian economy. Such recommendations may also be applicable to those countries with similar regulatory governance challenges.