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Infrastructure
- 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 …
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 …
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.…
Australian Nanotech, a subsidiary of Canadian road technology company NTI Nanotech Corp., has announced that it has signed a $1.6 billion contract to construct 3,200 kilometres of roads in D.R. Congo using their proprietary green nanotechnology.
The emerging technology has been deployed around the world in several countries for the past ten years and has proven to be cost-effective, environmentally beneficial and better quality than typical alternatives.
The Province Mai-Ndombe will be one of the first regions of Sub-Saharan Africa to use this disruptive technology.
“We are very excited to proceed with AusNanotech. Not only have they brought to us a product that is environmentally superior, they exceed required standards and for a better price,” said Mr. Paul Mputu Boleilanga, the Province’s Governor, adding “Additionally the company has shown a tenacity to our country and a dedication to conducting business that benefits the citizens of my Province and the …
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved the financing of Kenya’s north link road which when combined with the current section will make it the longest expressway in the country.
The total project cost is €257.68 million, of which €178.02 million (69%) will be financed by the Bank Group, while 12% will come from Africa Growing Together Fund, set up by the Bank and the People’s Bank of China in 2014. The remaining 19% will be financed by the Kenyan government.
The five-year project will convert the 84km Kenol–Sagana–Marua Road in central and eastern Kenya from a two-way single carriageway into a dual bypass and is due for completion in 2025. The new road will enhance traffic flow between the port city of Mombasa and major centers like Nairobi. It will also ease transport between Nairobi and the Mount Kenya region; and ultimately Ethiopia.
The existing section, also funded by …
Every month, Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway moves an average of 200 cargo trains from the coastal city of Mombasa to Nairobi’s inland container depot. With it, it moves at least 1,000 containers to Nairobi. This has left a bitter taste among residents of Mombasa, who have over the years depended on the undertakings around the port for jobs.
SGR, which has been billed as the biggest transport infrastructure project in the Kenya’s history, is expected to haul about nine million tonnes of cargo to make a profit of Sh5.08 billion a year, averaging Sh424 million per month, compared with 990,488 tonnes carried in the first year when SGR made a loss of Sh10 billion.
The SGR has so far made Sh10.9 billion from cargo and passenger business since it started operating, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics’ economic indicators report released in December 2018.
The cracks on the …
Uganda road toll fees to start in January 2020 on the Chinese-funded 51 kilometre Entebbe Expressway in Uganda.
The government of Uganda seeks to raise money to finance public infrastructure projects through toll fees.
Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) is to start charging fees for the Kampala – Entebbe expressway that links the capital Kampala with the Entebbe international airport. This is following the enactment of the new road act that was passed by the Ugandan parliament.
Allen Kagina the executive director UNRA said the authority has already started on the process to procure an operator and by January 2020 they will start collecting the toll fees.
The expressway has been free to use since it was opened to traffic in June last year. Lack of tolling equipment and an operator caused the delay.
Ms Kagina said that reports show an increase in traffic on the road with the increase …
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced that the first berth of the new Lamu Port will be opened in October.
Lamu Port is the country’s second major sea port after the Port of Mombasa. It is part of the US$24.5 billion Lamu-Port-South-Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport corridor project aimed improving trade in the region.
The President who visited the project over the weekend expressed satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing construction works at the seaport.
He said the mega project will create the much needed jobs for Kenyan youth.
“Since I was here last year, it is true you’ve worked hard. Very soon, next month, we will be here to open the first berth which I am told you will have completed,” the President announced.
“We will launch by seeing a ship dock here to offload cargo. Offloading of cargo will be the beginning of jobs not just for you alone but also …
PIDG company, the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) has announced that it has arranged the long-term debt finance for a €305 million new port development by Gabon Special Economic Zone Ports (GSEZ Ports) at Owendo, Gabon.
In addition to its sole mandated lead arranger role, EAIF is lending the company €40 million over 15 years, on a first ranked basis. GSEZ Ports is EAIF’s first project in Gabon. It is the largest industrial-scale infrastructure public-private partnership yet seen in the country. Financial close was achieved on 26 July.
The African Development Bank (AfDB), which led the structuring of the finance, is also lending €40 million. The new funds will refinance the project, releasing money for the largest shareholder to reinvest in other infrastructure projects in Africa, some in Gabon. 75% of the capital for the port project is shareholder equity.
GSEZ Ports has been awarded a 30-year concession to build …