Lagos is famously
over-crowded and the Lagos Rail Mass Transit is to be the first modern
metro system in Sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa. Construction
is underway on the initial 8km section.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Great Inga Dam, Congo, could become the world's largest hydroelectric dam
- Kenya's Konza City is one of many futuristic cities in the pipeline
- Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam will serve neighboring Sudan and Egypt
But making this dream a reality remains a major challenge.
A lack of railways, ports
and quality roads has hindered Africa's development in recent years.
But today, economic heavyweights such as China and India are pumping
billions of dollars into Africa to transform the continent's fortunes
and stake a claim in the world's next high-growth territory.
And last month, the African Development Bank and the Africa Foundation launched a fundraising initiative for Africa50, a project aimed at speeding up infrastructure ventures on the continent.
Here, CNN takes a look at
some of the big projects set to take Africa by storm. Tell us what you
think about them in the comments section below.
Great Inga Dam -- Democratic Republic of the Congo
Potentially the world's
largest hydroelectric dam, the Great Inga is a project to tame the
mighty Congo River and provide much-needed renewable energy for up to
500 million Africans.
With work scheduled to
begin in October 2015, it's claimed the Great Inga would produce 40,000
megawatts (MW) of energy, that's twice as much as China's Three Gorges
Dam, currently the world's largest.
In May, the government
of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced the first phase of its
grandiose plan, a $12 billion development, dubbed Inga 3, which will
produce 4,800 MW.
Economist: Africa needs infrastructure
World Bank estimates
suggest that just 11.1% of DRC's population has access to electricity.
But with the whole project estimated to cost $80 billion, analysts says
that raising funds will be a challenge.
Ethiopia builds infrastructure for growth
Mombasa -- Kampala -- Kigali railway project -- Kenya/Uganda/Rwanda
Zambia's investment in infrastructure
Stretching almost 3,000
kilometers and connecting three East African countries, the
Mombasa-Kigali railway could be the continent's answer to the Orient
Express.
Starting in Kenya's
second city with a stop-off at the Ugandan capital, Kampala, the rail
line will circumvent Lake Victoria before heading for its final
destination of Kigali, Rwanda.
With work scheduled to
start on the Mombasa-Nairobi section next month, the whole project is
due to be completed by March 2018 with an estimated cost of $13.5
billion.
Konza City -- Kenya
Konza City is a $9.2 billion dollar technology and financial metropolis project located southeast of Nairobi.
Dubbed the "African
Silicon Savannah" the project is part of "Vision 2030," the Kenyan
government's plan to improve the quality of life for its citizens.
The government expects
the city to provide 100,000 jobs and will include a business district, a
university, residential areas and city parks.
But the state will provide only 5% of the funding, with the rest expected to come through land leases to private companies.
Ethio-Djibouti railway -- Ethiopia/Djibouti
This 650-kilometer
railway will link up the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and the Port
of Doraleh in the small Red Sea nation of Djibouti.
The project is part of the Ethiopian government's Growth and Transformation plan and is set to cost $1.2 billion, according to estimates from consultancy KMPG.
Djibouti represents
Ethiopia's only seaport access and would significantly reduce the cost
of goods and transportation for the landlocked country.
Ethiopia upsets neighbours with Dam plan
Is China buying up Africa?
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam -- Ethiopia
Ethiopia's 'under construction' renaissance dam is set to be as grand on scale as it is in name.
Scheduled to be
completed by July 2017, the enormous barrier will cost the Ethiopian
government $4.7 billion and is being assembled by Italian engineering
firm Salini Costruttori.
The Renaissance Dam will
sit on the Blue Nile river in the Benishangul-Gumuz region. Creating
12,000 jobs and generating 6,000 MW of energy, the dam will also serve
neighboring Sudan and Egypt, which both rely of the Nile River's water
resources.
The project has caused
controversy in Sudan and Egypt, as both countries are concerned the dam
will give Ethiopia control over the flow of water.
Jasper project -- South Africa
Once completed, the Jasper Power Project will
be a 96 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in South Africa's Northern
Cape -- one of the biggest solar installations in the continent.
In May this year,
Internet giant Google, which has spent more than $1 billion in renewable
energy projects in the United States and Europe in recent years, made a
$12 million investment in the scheme.
The project will create
300 construction jobs and 50 permanent operational jobs, according to
the South African Department of Energy.
The joint venture is
part of South Africa's ambitious target of generating 18 gigawatts (GW)
of clean energy by 2030 and reducing its dependency on coal.
Other African countries
are also following the solar craze. Earlier this year, Mauritania, in
West Africa, launched what's described as Africa's biggest solar PV
plant so far, a 15 MW solar PV plant that will supply energy to nearly
10,000 homes.
Lagos Metro Blue Line
A major cosmopolitan
transport project to connect Nigeria's largest city, the Lagos Metro
Blue Line is designed to ease congestion and speed up journey times for
the city's inhabitants.
The Blue Line will run
between Marina and Okokomaiko stopping at 13 stations and is part of the
Lagos Rail Mass Transit program implemented by the government.
However, funding issues
mean the Blue Line launch has been pushed back to 2015. The Line is set
to cost $1.2 billion and will be funded by the Lagos State Government.
Rail operator Eko Rail has a 25-year contract to run and maintain the
service.
Follow Us on Twitter for fresh updates @facenaija
What do you think? Like it and share it with your friends on facebook, twitter to say your mind!
Also Like Our page on facebook for more Naija Celebrities Gossips and Breaking News at https://facebook.com/
-->
How To Create US Bank Account To Verify Your PayPal In Nigeria - Click Here
No comments:
Post a Comment