We are waiting for the rescue of ‘our girls’ over 200+ young innocent Nigerian girls seized in the pursuit of education in a secure area. Was this attack not predicted? Surely we have enough service personnel to surround the relevant part of the Sambisa Forest and execute a shrinking or strangling noose ‘No One in No One Out’ effect while opening whatever channels come up for dialogue and negotiation with Boko Haram which however specialises in the indiscriminate killing and blowing up of men, women, youth and children of all races and sexes as a modus operandi. Another miscalculation is that the borders with Chad and Cameroon were not closed with boots on the ground to prevent any cross border transfer of the girls. Unfortunately this post-kidnap failure has led to stories including that the girls seized at Chibok are beings sold into slavery and forced marriages. Indeed, very worryingly, Nigerian women say that thousands of children have silently been kidnapped in the area with no noise in the press. And meanwhile the Fulani-Nigeria war continues unabated claiming 10-80 lives daily, in spite of ‘peace meetings’. Who is going to pay compensation to families of those ‘killed-for-cow’ by herdsmen across states? Is this not armed robbery, terrorism and a war against defenceless Nigeria? Is this not saying ‘My cow is more valuable than your human life? This Nigeria, sha. So we have a triple terrorism. Security is inadequate. In the cities and towns the police know where the criminals are. However the police often accommodate crime and criminals. If the police can police the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Abuja let them extend their expertise nationwide to protect Nigeria from the onslaught of the terrorists –Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, and the terrorism of political thugs. Note that the political terrorists are as vicious as Boko Haram, yet our police and military allow them to roam around accompanying evil politicians unchallenged. These political terrorists, thugs, are hired, supplied with weapons including machetes, and paid by aspirants to Nigeria’s various political offices including governor, senator, representatives, LGA chairman and councillors. They are no different from Boko Haram and should be called as such. They are no different from Fulani herdsmen and should be called as such. In 2015, will we allow such terrorism to be disguised as ‘politics’ and political campaigning’? Where will the police, now securing Abuja WEF be then to arrest all the political terrors nationwide to clean up elections for honest politicians to step forward? It depends entirely on the police. We will need impartial police. After the Rivers State debacle, that may be a mirage but there is still time and hope for ‘A Political Terrorism-Free 2015 Election’. So far the experience in Ekiti State suggests the need for a massive anti-terrorism police presence to thwart the political terrorism of the usual suspects in the political fray too afraid to face an honest election campaign. Do we really know Nigeria? It has become a very different place from when we grew up. The amount of security effort to protect the World Economic Forum delegates is an eye opener to all including the police. All Nigerians deserve a higher, honest, upright, efficient, well equipped and well paid police and armed forces. The days of giving a loaded gun to a psychologically unbalanced person who may have just been drinking to a state of drunkenness, just because he has a uniform on, should be over. Will the true Nigerians please stand up! Nigeria is so desperately in need of true Nigerians. Every day we hear of and see the bodies of true Nigerians being slaughtered, blown up, run over, machete, machine-gunned, drowned and even killed in the line of duty. We know that the ECOMOG lost between 3,000 and 8,000 troops, human being, unsung true Nigerians. Where are they buried, where is their memorial? Are the maimed, widows and children catered for? Where are the names of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in foreign lands, inscribed in ‘West African Marble’ like the little Military grave at Atan Cemetery, Yaba, Lagos? In those days the families around the cemetery smelt the smell of death as bodies of soldiers were buried at night. My late aunty told me and I personally witnessed an ECOMOG funeral in Sango Cemetery Ibadan where the wife, who was not informed arrived suddenly during the funeral. Her unforgettable words were ‘My husband is dead and you could not even tell me so I could bring the children to his funeral’. Whose duty is it to write condolence letters to the families of dead soldiers? Is it Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence or Special Adviser or the Vice President or the President who writes these letters? The highest honour a man can give his country is that he lay down his or her life for that country, often in the security services! But do not forget the hundreds of farmers, students, youth who have also been forced to lay down their lives due to the inability of the country’s government to defend them in their villages, farms and schools. Is such a country worthy of receiving that final fatal honour from any citizen when it treats its citizens, alive or dead, and their surviving dependents, so shabbily? Too many Nigerians are Nigerian in name, by mere geographical accident of birth without working at making Nigeria a pride to live in.
Tag: WEF
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Police recover snatched school van
There was panic in Abuja yesterday following rumours that a bus–filled with pupils on the way to school was snatched by gunmen and the children abducted.
The rumour was quickly dispelled by the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which clarified that armed men snatched a school bus without any child in it.
The bus belonged to Divine International Academy at Nyanya.
The police later recovered the school van, a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number XG 246 GWA.
Police spokesman Frank Mba said the bus was recovered by police operatives attached to the Nasarawa State Police Command following a manhunt.
Mba added that two suspects, Victor Essien (40) and Ubongpong Bassey (49) were arrested.
The statement quoted the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar to have assured members of the public of enhanced security in the federal capital territory and its environs
It added that the police would remain committed to the task of providing the citizens and participants at the World Economic Forum (WEF) world-class security services during and after the event.
The IG was also quoted to have enjoined the citizenry to remain vigilant and continue to support security agencies in the task of securing the nation.
News of the early morning robbery sent panic across the capital city, owing to the tense security situation by recent bombing at public places within the territory.
As soon as the news broke caused parents and guardians rushed to primary and secondary schools to bring back their children and wards, as information spread across the city that it was a case of abduction of school pupils.
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WEF hosting: $3.5b coming to farmers
Nigeria will earn $3.5 billion by hosting the World Economic Forum (WEF) Africa which begins tomorrow in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said.
She said the foreign capital will give a boost to agriculture and assist small farm holders across the country.
Addressing journalists ahead the Forum in Abuja yesterday, Okonjo-Iweala said: “There are several things that will be of benefit to Nigeria; some these are the several initiatives of the forum like the Grow Africa Initiative which is supposed to help agriculture and small (farm) holders across the continent and it has been able to raise about $7 billion in investments and about half or more than half of which will be coming to Nigeria.”
Another benefit of hosting the forum is in the health sector. She said: “There is the healthcare initiative designed to strengthen access to healthcare and Nigeria will benefit from that. Participants will highlight a vision for the Nigerian health system by 2030 aiming to provide universal health coverage by building on the National Health Bill 2014.”
Participants “will elaborate a package of high-impact ‘leapfrogging’ initiatives and align stakeholders to cooperate in delivering this vision.
Nigeria currently has approximately just 14 per cent of the number of doctors per capita of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. To catch up, Nigeria would need approximately 12 times as many doctors by 2030 at a cost of $ 51 billion, she added.
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WEF: Govt assures international community of safety
The Federal Government has again assured the international community about the country’s preparedness to host the World Economic Forum, saying the Federal Capital Territory, venue of the forum is safe.
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh told foreign diplomats yesterday in Abuja as part of moves to reassure the international community of the safety of the country ahead of the forum.
Already, the government has started the process by extending invitation to 25 African leaders and three other lead states, Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey,
The forum which will hold in Abuja is slated for 7th to 9th of May, 2004.
Badeh said: “What we want here is for us to tell you how safe Abuja is. As Chief of Defence Staff, I won’t have the detail, my colleague will give you the detail, but I can guarantee you that Abuja is safe. The only thing is that there is this hardship of coming in into Abuja, but untill we are able to get technology to assist us, we will continue to grapple with this hardship of coming in into Abuja.“And let me tell you, it is either we stand the hardship, or we leave everybody coming to wherever they want to, but I think it is better we go through the hardship so that we can attend our conferences and go to our offices than for us to allow everybocdy coming.”
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimma who gave the operational details, said the armed forces are committed to the protection of the country’s sovereignty, lives and property of individuals.
“ I know we are all aware of our security challenges in the North-eastern part of our country and our effort to curtailing that insecurity as soon as the insurgents … As an armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we are committed to the protection of our sovereignty, lives and property of individual as well as the infrasture of state.And then I want to reassure you that aside the economic forum, that will be coming up in some weeks time, the security of Nigeria is guaranteed, all nationals, the international citizens as well as the investoprs and for the whole capital and venue of the economic forum.
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Jonathan assures on safety at World Economic Forum
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday reassured the global community of the safety of all participants in next month’s World Economic Forum on Africa billed for Abuja.
He gave the assurance, according to a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, while receiving the new China’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Gu Xiaojie, who presented his letters of credence to him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, the security challenges being experienced in parts of the country will have no adverse effect on the safety of participants at the forum.
He commended China for confirming participation of its delegation at the Forum, to be led by Premier Li Keqiang.
The Forum, he said, will bring together regional and global leaders to discuss innovative structural reforms and investments that can sustain the continent’s current growth trajectory and create jobs.
He said: “I am quite pleased that the Premier of the People’s Republic of China has confirmed that he is coming. We will be addressing the World Economic Forum on Africa together. We will also sit down together to discuss shared national interests.”
“We will give all participants a good reception in Abuja. We have faced challenges in the area of security, but we will overcome the situation so that our economy can move forward faster. Participants will not have a problem with security during the summit.”
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FG assures WEF participants on security
The Supervising Minister of National Planning Commission, Alhaji Bashir Yuguda, on Thursday assured delegates to the forthcoming World Economic Forum that the Federal Government would ensure their security.
Yuguda, who gave the assurance at news conference in Abuja, said the forum would hold between May 7 and May 9 in Abuja, with the theme: “Inclusive Growth for Job Creation.”
He said out of the nine committees set up to organise the forum, the security committee, chaired by the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar, was given priority to ensure safety of participants.
“The Inspector-General of Police did inform me that adequate security arrangements have been put in place,’’ Yuguda said.
The minister, who said the country’s security challenges would not affect the organisation and participation of the forum, said the federal government had organised similar hitch-free events in the past.
He recalled that the federal government hosted the 12th Plenary of the 36-Member Countries Leading Group on Innovative Financing for Development and other international events without hindrances.
Yuguda said more than 1,000 delegates had been registered and that more participants were expected to register.
He urged Nigerians to support the government in its effort to tackle security challenges and promote foreign direct investment in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that this is the first World Economic Summit to be hosted by Nigeria and the 24th in Africa.
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‘Africa last frontier for global technology market’
Africa is the last frontier for most global technology firms searching for fresh markets to invest, the Chairman, Digital Africa Limited, Dr Evans Worehem has said.
He also said Nigeria, with the largest market on the continent, is better positioned to be the greatest beneficiary.
Speaking in Lagos over the weekend, he said most of the other markets in the world have reached their points of saturation, arguing that the continent will continue to be the haven of investment.
He said: “Africa is the last frontier for most global technology brands that are seeking fresh and virgin markets. North America and Europe have almost reached a market saturation point for many ICT products and services. Growth in Asia and Latin America is quite modest. As at today, the most exciting information communication technology (ICT) business opportunities lie in Africa and the Middle East.
“Although Africa had traditionally lagged behind in certain critical economic sectors, ICT is clearly a bright spot for the continent that must be seized to move the continent ahead confidently.”
He said for ICT to fast-track economic development in healthcare, governance, software development and entrepreneurship, there is need for forums for stakeholders to come together and cross-fertilise ideas on how to achieve this.
To this end, Digital Africa in collaboration with World Electronics Forum (WEF) will host a three-day conference and exhibition in Lagos between May 20 and 22.
He lamented that other continents are more developed than Africa because of the advancement and development in the ICT sector, adding that for a very long time, Africa has remained a mere user of technologies fabricated in other parts of the world.
He said the conference and exhibition would allow stakeholders to share knowledge with participants, especially in software development which holds the key to youth unemployment.
He added that entrepreneurship and software development would make Africa to transit from being a consumer of foreign technologies but innovator and producer of technologies.
He said the theme of the conference is ’Towards Digital Singularity in Africa’, noting that the ‘WEF’ will be hosting the conference in Africa and Nigeria for the first time.
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Nigeria’s quest for more foreign exchange
Annually, agriculture is said to contribute N348.7 billion to the economy. It can be more if over 50 per cent of agricultural produce, especially perishables are not wasted and unfit for the market. Air freight has the potential to reduce this wastage and boost foreign exchange earnings, writes OLUKOREDE YISHAU
Agriculture Minister Akinwunmi Adesina is never out of the news. If the minister is not talking about rice farming, he is talking about cocoa farming. He is upbeat about the agriculture sector, which he sees as the next oil sector. The sector absorbed $5 billion last year. But in all these, the minister has also been concerned about food wastage, which the United Nations Environmental Project (UNEP)says has both financial and environmental implications.
Environmentally, food waste leads to wasteful use of chemicals such as fertilisers and pesticides; more fuel used for transportation; and more rotting food, creating more methane – one of the most harmful greenhouse gases that fuels to climate change.
A report said: “Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted. Every year, consumers in rich countries waste almost as much food (222 million tonnes) as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (230 million tonnes).The amount of food lost or wasted every year is equivalent to more than half of the world’s annual cereals crop (2.3 billion tonnes in 2009/2010).
Nigeria contributes a great deal to this situation. Food waste and losses occur at early stages of the food value chain. Farmers daily lose so much during planting and harvest seasons due to the problem of storage and freight challenges. They have grappled with their losses over the years. The poor transport system means their produce cannot get to the market before the perishable ones become spoilt.
Adesina, at the World Economic Forum (WEF), said: “The issue of global food security is very important. Nine billion people need to be fed by 2050 and there is no doubt in my mind that that requires that we significantly increase agricultural productivity. But if you look at where the land really is, most of the land is not in the United States, it is not in South Asia or anywhere in the world. It is in Africa and a bulk of it is in Nigeria. We have 84 million hectares of land.”
He said he would continue to push for the optimisation of the level of land in Nigeria to enable the country raise productivity with modern technology, saying Africa is where the compass is for food production that will save the world.
“Africa and in particular, Nigeria, is going to be part of the major solution to global food problem and that requires that we change our approach to Agriculture not just as a development activity, but agriculture as a business,” he said.
A solution is being found to food wastage. Adesina and Aviation Minister Stella Oduah are working to protect perishable cargoes through designated cargo airports. Countries, such as Kenya, South Africa, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Egypt long adopted this strategy. Through their perishable cargo airports, they are reaping internally and externally. Perishable air freight export out of Africa in 2010 was approximately $1.6 billion.
Nigeria is nowhere to be found despite being the largest sub-Saharan African country producing perishables.
This has dawned on government and on Monday, the Federal Government designated the Akure Airport as a perishable cargo terminal. 13 of the 22 remodelled airports have been designated as cargo airports. Additional facilities are being provided at these airports to make them function effectively as cargo airports.
“We understand how farmers feel when their products can’t get to the market. We know how it hurts when you invest and there is no return on investment; we know that colleagues in the Agriculture sector are striving to return the country to the path of sustainable agriculture and we on this part are working to ensure those mangoes, oranges and even fish do not rotten somewhere inside the farm. We are creating cargo airports and encouraging farm to market idea, where farmers can freight their produce without trouble and get reward for their efforts,” said Oduah.
The aviation minister said it is the priority of her ministry to help farmers out of poverty through the new cargo airports.
“By making distribution easier for farmers who usually have to compete with the challenge of moving their perishable goods, we are also pumping money back into the local economy. And beyond the direct economic benefits, connecting eaters with local growers helps cultivate a sense of national pride and solidarity. We have a real attachment to making sure our country continues to have its rural, agricultural heritage by supporting and creating this channel called perishable cargo airports,” says Yakubu Dati, the spokesman for aviation parastatals.
The Director of Air Cargo, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Uchenna Ofulue, is expected to spearhead the drive for the development of the air cargo sector.
The Chairman, Domestic Airport Cargo Agent Association (DACAA), Emmanuel Odia, said the creation of cargo department by the FAAN will enhance cargo business in the airports.
The determination of FAAN to construct cargo terminal would boost the activities of the cargo agents, and ensure sanity in the cargo business at the airports, he said.
“I think it is one of the best things that could happen to the aviation industry. It means that there is no cargo terminal in Nigeria that will not have a cargo department and this will enhance our business as cargo agents.
“The moment the directorate picks up, and there is a section for cargo spinning, it will boost our business, “Odia said.
The DACAA boss explained that this would also help to curb disorder and touting.
Odia appealed to the management of the FAAN to create a cargo section under the directorate where all cargo activities would be carried out.
He, however, expressed displeasure over the decline of domestic airlines which, he said, had negatively affected DACCA business and had forced most cargo owners to transport their goods by road.
The Chinese government is building five new airport terminals which have been designed with facilities for air cargo as well. The deal includes five international terminals for commercial flights and six for perishable cargo. The airports being undertaken with concessionary loan from China Exim Bank will be situated in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu.
Speaking at the inauguration of the international terminal of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Lamido Sanusi Lamido, said the cargo airports would end the era of farmers losing their yields and can even earn foreign exchange by exporting their perishables.
Interestingly, the global perishables market is worth over $5billion or about N1trillion annually. With the cargo airports, farmers will be able to participate in this market. They can now earn money from their fresh tropical fruits, such as oranges, pineapples, mangoes, tangerine, paw paw, grapes, cashew, bananas and vegetables.
An Agricultural economist, Sule Dantiye, said: “If government follows this through, the farmers and the country will gain a lot. For me, it is a poverty alleviation strategy, which makes more sense than distributing motorcycle and stuffs like that to people. I understand that they will also provide cold storage containers, specialised transportation for these perishables and so on. This will really change a lot of things.”
The ministries are urging Nigerians to believe them on the workability of this initiative, saying it is no empty promise. That was the gospel Adesina preached at Davos last week.
Oduah said: “It means that our aunties, our cousins, our relations living in rural communities will have access to international market. We would have developed some rural economies that would be independent of allocations from the Federal Government and independent from oil resources. It would be one of the greatest platforms for government to stop rural, urban migration. It will grow employment opportunity; it will have all the value chain properly ad completely developed. It will encourage the growth of new middle class.”
Dati said the new Port Harcourt Airport terminal was different from the old one because it has room for cargo.
He said the economic importance of Port Harcourt in efforts to develop agriculture in the country motivated the Federal Government to build an international cargo terminal in the area.
“We are starting a new terminal, which will be built from scratch, in addition to what we have. This shows the importance of Port Harcourt in the Federal Government’s plans and it also complements the fact that we want to open up an entry point for commerce and industry internationally.
“Although the Port Harcourt airport facilitates oil and gas exports, it is also strategic for the exportation of agricultural produce because of its location,” he said.
Dati said the Port Harcourt airport was important to the Federal Government’s transformation agenda, saying that the first phase of the terminal’s remodelling project would be inaugurated soon.
He said the cargo terminal would enable Nigeria to effectively export oil palm and other agricultural produce for wealth creation.
Significantly, the National Planning Commission (NPC) yesterday said agriculture contributed N348.7 billion to the nation’s economy in 2012, as against N335.18 billion recorded in 2011.
The figure is contained in the 2012 Performance Report on the nation’s economy issued in Abuja by the commission.
The report noted that the sector’s value added stood at N348.7 billion in 2012, compared with N335.18 billion recorded in 2011, indicating a growth rate of 3.97 per cent as against 5.64 per cent in 2011.
It added that “the contribution of agriculture to overall real Gross Domestic Product Growth was 24.25 per cent in 2012, compared with 31.04 per cent in 2011.
“Growth was led by crop production, which accounted for 20.46 per cent of the overall economic growth in 2012, compared with 27.41 per cent in 2011.”
It stated that the slowdown in the sub-sector’s contribution to growth in 2012 was due to security issues in some parts of the north that adversely affected agricultural production and marketing.
Flooding had also affected the productivity of the sector in 2012, it added.
The report showed that the Federal Government’s initiatives to improve agriculture and investments had not been significantly felt due to security challenges and that food imports were taking huge amounts of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
”In the first quarter of 2012 alone, more than 1.4 billion U.S. dollars (N221.2 billion) was spent on food imports, compared with 1.11 billion U.S. dollars ((N168.75 billion) in the first quarter of 2011, indicating a growth of 26.6 per cent,” it said
The commission stressed the need for the nation to learn from the success stories of China and India that exited from being food importers to exporters in the last 30 years.
The sector will contribute more if the cargo airports initiatives fully take off and with time, the era of over 50 per cent of perishables being wasted may soon be over.
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Jonathan heads to Davos for WEF
President Goodluck Jonathan will leave Abuja on Tuesday for the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he will lead efforts to attract beneficial global participation in this year’s WEF on Africa which will be hosted by Nigeria in Abuja from May 7-9.
President Jonathan, who will be accompanied by key members of the Federal Government’s Economic Management Team from the public and private sectors, as well as the Nigerian Economic Summit Group is scheduled to host special events in Davos aimed at boosting attendance at the economic forum in Abuja by leading players in the world’s political and economic affairs who meet in the Swiss winter resort annually.
According to a statement issued by the President’s media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, the events which will include an African soiree for participants and an interactive session with financiers and industrialists, will also seek to further promote Nigeria’s immense economic potentials with a view to attracting more employment generating investments to the country.
The theme of the World Economic Forum on Africa in Abuja – “Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs” is very much in tandem with the Federal Government’s economic priorities for 2014 as enunciated in this year’s national budget proposals.
The statement said it is expected that the forum will bring regional, continental and global leaders together in Abuja to discuss innovative structural reforms and investments which Nigeria and other African nations can buy into to sustain their economic growth, create more productive jobs for their youthful populations and greater prosperity for all their citizens.
“While in Davos for the 2014 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum which has ‘Reshaping of the World’ as its theme, President Jonathan will also participate in a televised session focused on actions needed to ensure that the currently positive economic growth trends in Africa endure and yield greater benefits for all stakeholders in the well-being and development of the continent.
“The President will have bilateral meetings with other participating heads of state and government including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and also receive the chief executives of leading international conglomerates with interest in Nigeria before returning to Abuja on Friday,” the statement said.
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Africa requires $100b to fix infrastructure – Jonathan
President Goodluck Jonathan has said for Africa to effectively tackle the various challenges bedeviling the continent, it must build the necessary infrastructure across transport, communication and energy sectors.
Already, it is estimated that the continent requires about $ 100 billion annually for the next decade.
Jonathan, who spoke on Wednesday at the Infrastructure Summit of the World Economic Forum in South Africa, described infrastructure as a major challenge facing the African continent.
Consequently, Jonathan said the situation has led to structural and high level of unemployment.
Besides, he said poor infrastructure serves as additional burden and cost to businesses, thereby making it difficult for them to compete.
The president said, “In the last decade, Africa has come a long way from being mainly associated with economic stagnation, high inflation, high external debts, and civil strife. Today, the situation has changed due to significant macroeconomic, structural, and political reforms. Economic growth on the continent averaged five per cent annually in the last 10 years.
” However, despite this recent economic growth success story of the continent, infrastructure deficit on the continent across transport, energy, and communication remain binding constraints to further growth acceleration, our ability to compete, and the reduction in poverty.
“Inadequate and poor infrastructure in Africa remains a major constraint to the continent’s realisation of its full economic potential. Due to the relatively poor infrastructure and low connectivity on the continent, we have the lowest level of inter-regional trade. While we account for about 12 per cent of the world’s population, our share of global trade is just about two per cent. This is also a reflection of the fact that our economies are less diversified compared to other global regions.
“Most importantly, poor infrastructure serves as additional burden and cost to our businesses, making it difficult for them to compete, and accompanied by structural and high level of unemployment. To effectively tackle these challenges, diversify our economies, reduce poverty and provide employment opportunities for our bulging youth population, we must build necessary infrastructure in Africa across transport, communication and energy sectors.”
“Over the course of this past decade, African stakeholders have recognised the need to plug the gaps in infrastructure on the continent. From studies and reports on the subject, it is estimated that Africa requires about 100 billion United States dollars annually for the next decade, whereas only a quarter is being spent today.”