Tuesday, March 19

Infrastructure

The Stalled Saglemi Housing project in Ghana Pinterest
  • The World Bank data shows remittances by Africans in the diaspora hit over $95.6 billion in 2021 with Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya among the highest recipients of the inflows.
  • Africa has a housing deficit of about 56 million units driven largely by urbanization and population growth, which has left governments struggling to meet the demand for affordable units.
  • Many of the 40,000 people moving to African cities every day cannot afford basic formal housing or access loans to acquire homes.

Pan African housing development financier, Shelter Afrique, is targeting Africans living and working abroad to enhance the delivery of affordable housing agenda across the continent.

Shelter Afrique managing director Thierno-Habib Hann said over 170 million people of African descent that live and work in various countries across the world present a formidable resource pool for the continent’s infrastructure development, including housing.

“African diaspora populations are growing, as are their savings …

Read More
The Nigeria Morocco Gas Pipeline.Source MWN

Africa has been hailed as the next frontier in the provision of global oil and natural gas resources, especially now in the wake of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

This crisis has not only altered the global energy landscape, but also instigated an inflation in gas prices, given the former’s position in the hierarchy of major global producers. As sanctions continue to soar, Europe has embarked on a quest to find contingency energy supplies, as it seeks to minimize its dependency on Russia; which has already cut off gas supplies to countries like Finland, Poland and Bulgaria, over energy payment disputes.

Consequently, Africa’s gas resources have gained a newly found prominence, pertinently by the European Union (EU); owing to the continent’s rich endowment of oil and deep gas reserves. The mounting global demand for gas, has been pushing international energy companies to reconsider African projects. The numerous ongoing and upcoming oil …

Buhari's pressure to complete infrastructural projects ahead of Nigeria 2023 elections. www.theexchange.africa

At the start of the year, state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was photographed inspecting two high-speed trains purchased from the United States of America for the Red Line, which is expected to form the second spoke of the LRMT. The line runs from Marina to Agbado, 30 kilometres from Lagos.

The Blue and Red lines, when complete, are expected to move more than a million people across the expansive metropolis daily, addressing the heavy congestion that has become common within the city.

The light rail project was first contemplated a few decades ago, the initial projections indicating that the Blue Line would be completed in 2011. However, the project was weighed down by a myriad of challenges, including bureaucracy, corruption, mismanagement, and funding.

The light rail project is one of the numerous long-delayed plans to connect Nigeria by rail that has been invigorated by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.…

www.theexchange.africa
  • Kenya has started the documentation processes for the dualling of the 40 Kilometre Mtwapa-Kilifi Road
  • The project is part of the 460 Km Malindi-Tanga-Bagamoyo East African corridor development project, which is a transnational highway between Kenya and Tanzania
  • Once completed, the project will create demand for hospitality facilities at the border entry points and cater for travellers 
  • It will also promote property values in Mtwapa and Kilifi, attributed to increased demand and ease of accessibility

Kenya road project Mtwapa Kilifi

Kenya national government has begun the documentation processes for the dualling of the 40 Kilometre project Mtwapa-Kilifi Road.

The project is part of the 460 Km Malindi-Tanga-Bagamoyo East African corridor development project, a transnational highway between Kenya and Tanzania.

The project is estimated to cost KSh 41.7 billion. The primary source of funds is the African Development Bank (AfDB), which approved a KSh 38.4 million financing package for the project …

www.theexchange.africa
  • The multi-phase project will provide water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and generate hydroelectricity for Lesotho.
  • The Lesotho Highland Development Authority will implement the part of the project that falls within Lesotho’s borders.

The board of directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a loan of $86.72 million to co-finance the second phase of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

In a statement, AfDB said the multi-phase project will provide water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and generate hydroelectricity for Lesotho.

The project entails harnessing the waters of the Senqu/Orange River in the Lesotho highlands by constructing a series of dams for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

The Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, a state-owned entity in South Africa charged with financing and implementing bulk raw water infrastructure projects, will use the funds to construct the Polihali Dam and reservoir, a 38 kilometer-long water transfer …

Truck on road

A lot has been written about the case for investing in Africa. 

Many journalists and economists have eulogized about the merits of investing in Africa going as far as to describe it as the final frontier. Africa is indeed the so-called final frontier and it is that for very good reason. It has the largest share of any natural resources on the planet that are still untapped for the most part. It is not an exaggeration to describe the continent as a Utopian Eldorado as far as investment is concerned. It is home to the youngest population demographic who will comprise a large part of the middle class and will consume large quantities of services and goods. 

A typical example and an apt preface for this article would be the massive coal deposits in the Waterberg area in the north of South Africa. This resource is estimated to be in

Kenya economy

Kenya’s economic indicators by sector for the first quarter of 2021 point to continued recovery from the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as normalization of the domestic and global economy continues.

This is according to a finding by the Central Bank of Kenya which however warns that the services sector continues to bear the brunt of the pandemic, attributable to COVID-19 containment measures which disrupted travel and hospitality services during the quarter under review.

According to the Quarterly Economic Review for January – March 2021 released last week, growth of the agriculture sector is expected to remain strong, supported by increased production of key crops following favorable weather conditions experienced during the quarter.

In the horticulture sub-sector for instance, total exports of horticultural crops increased by 10.6 percent compared to the previous quarter, boosted by continued normalization of international demand.

The report adds that significant growth in exports realized …

www.theexchange.africa

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has commissioned two key projects at the Konza Technopolis, a key flagship project of the country’s ambitious Vision 2030.

The President inaugurated an eight-story headquarters of Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA), which is located in Machakos County.

Kenyatta also opened the National Data Centre located at the Technopolis.

The ultra-modern office block is expected to provide KoTDA staff and partners a conducive on-site working environment to support the accelerated roll-out of the techno city.

On the other hand, the data center will offer reliable infrastructure and business-friendly services through a superior ICT backbone.

The data center will host East Africa’s biggest data center, with a capacity of 1.6 petabytes, according to the Standard.

It is fully equipped with smart city facilities and services to support the technopolis, as well as developers and small enterprises.

Kenyatta said the progress signals the Government’s commitment to the completion of …

The Lamu port. Questions abound regarding the viability of the port which could become a threat to the country’s main gateway facility, the Mombasa Port. www.theexchange.africa

The Lamu Port is strategically located at the convergence of major shipping routes, saying its operationalization will open up northern Kenya to international trade, thereby fortifying the country’s position as a top economic gateway to Africa.
With one of the deep-water harbours on the east coast of Africa, Lamu Port has the potential to become a premier transhipment hub for all cargo destined for the continent. Furthermore, Lamu now joins Mombasa Port as a key entry and exit point of cargo, deep into and out of Africa’s hinterland.…

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

STAY INFORMED

Unlock Business Wisdom - Join The Exchange Africa's Newsletter for Expert African Business Insights!

Stay ahead of the game with our weekly African business Newsletter
Recieve Expert analysis, commentary and Insights into the enviroment which can help you make informed decisions.