Browsing: Africa’s natural resources

• Despite its $6.2Trn natural wealth, Africa remains “green rich but cash poor.”
• Projections show that had carbon sequestration alone been accounted for, Africa’s nominal GDP in 2022 could have increased by $66.1Bn.
• In Europe, carbon prices can reach as high as $200 per tonne, yet the same credits are traded for as little as $3 to $10 per tonne in Africa.

At the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, African leaders are pushing for a fair valuation of the continent’s natural riches—spanning vast forests, carbon sequestration capabilities, and ecosystem services.

They call on authorities to factor them into calculating Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This bold move aims to redefine wealth on a global scale by integrating the immense value of Africa’s natural assets into economic frameworks.

In a pivotal communique, African heads of state have cited the invaluable contributions of their ecosystems to global public …

• Africa is loosing out on bad minerals for loan deals, AfDB warns.
• AfDB is developing initiatives to  help countries’ address the bad loans.
• China alleged to be the leader in bad minerals for loan deals with Africa.

Africa’s natural resources are being traded for loans from international lenders and that is why the continent is underdeveloped, the Head of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has decried.

In an interview with The Associated Press in Lagos, Nigeria, Dr Adesina called for an end to “loans given in exchange for the continent’s rich supplies of oil or critical minerals used in smartphones and electric car batteries.”

The Head of Africa’s biggest lending bank, AfDB, said some countries have gained control over mineral mining in places such as Congo and have left some African countries in financial crisis owing to such ‘mineral for loans deals.’

“They are just bad, first …

• The “Master Gas” CNG filling station, the first of 12 planned stations, has a capacity of 11,000Kg of CNG, serving well over 800 vehicles daily.
• Vehicles powered by CNG emit about 25% less CO2, contributing to Tanzania’s consumption of clean, environmentally friendly energy.
• The filling station is a joint investment by TAQA Arabia and JCG Oil & Gas.

Tanzania has marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of its inaugural Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station in the port city of Dar es Salaam. The commissioning ceremony, overseen by Dr. Doto Mashaka Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Tanzania, celebrated the joint investment by TAQA Dalbit, a tie up between TAQA Arabia and JCG Oil & Gas.

“We are on the cusp of a transformative shift in Tanzania’s energy landscape. With the dedication and foresight of industry leaders like TAQA Dalbit, we are ushering in an era …

• In rebuilding back better post-pandemic, governments, investors, and policymakers must harness one of Africa’s greatest resources: youthful human capital.
• Africa’s human capital is the engine behind the high rate of entrepreneurship cited at 22 percent of Africa’s roughly 1.4 billion population.
• To reap maximum dividends, the governments in Africa must however roll out robust healthcare systems to guarantee optimal productivity of the workforce.

Africa’s journey to economic development has seen various countries achieving certain milestones previously thought impossible for nations caught up in a number of growth-limiting challenges. The continent has made significant strides in its agricultural economy, leading to the development of various innovations such as Kenya’s mobile cash transfer service M-PESA and novel agri-based technologies.

Data transformation has also steadily grown in countries such as Kenya, which fintech firm Fluttterwave has recognized as an East Africa’s hub. Even with these trailblazing tech breakthroughs, human capital remains the continent’s …

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 …