Burkina Faso Is Constructing Its First Expressway

Burkina Faso is focusing on construction and modernizing the country. Part of this new policy objective is to add more roads. Burkina Faso is in the process of building the first expressway within its land. The expressway will connect Ouagadougou to Bobo Dioulasso. An estimated $357 million will be invested in the infrastructure project. More roads are going to be built to facilitate trade  and travel.  Burkina Faso is seeking to transform itself through the Faso Mebo initiative. The new agenda involves improving the standard of living and developing Burkina Faso through a series projects. The new freeway can aid in getting Burkina Faso more access to ports. Constructing a large network of freeways would help with the exchange of goods and services. The contemporary period operates on fast transport. Equipping Burkina Faso with better infrastructure can allow it to be a better competitor in the global economy. Getting connected to the ports in Ghana or Ivory Coast  improves Burkina Faso's economic condition. To ensure that projects are successful more funds and expertise is required. This means increasing the number of skilled workers and keeping employment high. The building of infrastructure indicates that Burkina Faso is on a pathway to modernized national development.      

Namibia Will Introduce Free University Education In 2026

 

Namibia will introduce free university education in 2026. This applies to all public universities and technical colleges. Registration and tuition fees are to be abolished. The challenge is how funding institutes of higher learning can be sustained. The funding for free university education will come from subsidies and the student financial assistance fund. This means those sources are going to require larger amounts of investments. The benefit of this is that Namibians will acquire skills for modern economy. A public that acquires more education will push the country higher up on the human development index. The motivation has an economic purpose. There is also concerns about what occurred in South Africa. Protests over universities fees occurred in 2017. The Namibian government might be fearful of  demonstrations in their borders. The Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah administration is likely trying to ensure political support. The youth are going to vote and this might determine the outcome of a future election. Students are normally the ones active in protests. Critics believe this is some vague promise and is not a new public policy direction. The new policy will help low income students and those who want to go back to school. What must be addressed is the middle income students. Their class makes them too wealthy to qualify, but not so much that they feel the strain of fees. If free university education is successful Namibia will see improvements in various sectors.    

The Status of Power and Electricity Access In Africa

 

The African continent has a problem with access to power and electricity. Nigeria has suffered from power outages. North Africa based on collected data has more access to power compared to Sub-Saharan Africa. The countries that lack the most electricity are The African Central Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad,  and South Sudan. These three countries have a history of civil wars and armed groups fighting the government. The M23 rebels and Seleka rebels have fought in the DRC and the Central African Republic. South Africa has the highest access to electricity in its region. The need for better infrastructure and better power grids should be part of every African country's objective. Power and electricity are needed for modern nations. Electricity can be an indicator of development. Considering Africa's vast mineral and fossil fuel resources the economic possibilities are endless. Data  related to progress on electrification According to the IAEA , the number of people without electricity access expanded. The two major factor related to reversal  was the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis related to events in Europe. The 2019 map shows the status before those two events. The African continent has more access to electricity compared to past. The challenge is keeping the process mobilized. The African Union must develop programs to bring electricity to all of the continent. The World Bank has created a plan known as mission 300. The goal is to get electrification to 300 million in sub-Sharan Africa. Although  the African Development Bank has collaborated with the World Bank on the program, fears of further long term debt arise. Mission 300 wants to have most of the region with electricity by 2030. The time frame is too short for such an ambitious project. The African Union should be leading efforts to provide electricity. Doing so would encourage immense  cooperation between all regions of Africa.  

President Nana Akufo-Addo : What Africa Must Do to Develop

The president of Ghana Nana Aukufo-Addo explains African nations should not seek aid from European nations. Development should be a continent wide effort to build economies to reduce dependence. This requires investment in youth so they do not leave the country. Every African that leaves and lives in Europe only makes those countries more powerful. There has been a change in political mindset and the realization that nations such as France do not have African interests in mind. President Aukufo-Addo expressed these ideas during a press conference in early 2020. President Macron seemed to be shocked at these statements. What most EU countries fear is an age of African assertion, which would ultimately change geopolitical policy objectives. France wants more influence in its former area of colonization, but this will not happen without resistance. As President Nana Aukufo-Addo explained, Africa should not ask for aid, other nations should be getting aid from Africa. Ghana could be leading a way to a new pan-African political revival. The challenge is convincing other  African nations to be unified in on economic policy. 

West African Nations Adopt New Currency The Eco

It was agreed upon nations of West Africa in ECOWAS that a single currency be adopted by 2020. The Economic Community of West Africa States wants to strengthen economic and political ties among its members. This can be very positive news with Africans developing solutions rather than seeking advice form the International Monetary Fund or World Bank. Some may question what would currency do in the long term plan of development. It may make transactions easier with a single currency and may also encourage more collaboration among the 15 member states. If this can be successful then, it may serve as an experiment for not just a regional currency, but a currency for the entire African continent. It would make no sense for East Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa, and North Africa to have single region based currencies. The African Union must consider in the future of having one currency for the entire continent. The challenge is development, employment, and a common political consensus among African nations. The eco  does have a level of risk, but at the same time it means West African nations will not be so economically dependent on France. Much of the success of the eco will depend on the policies of both Nigeria and Niger. President Mahamadou Issoufou  has succeeded  the office of Chairmen of ECOWAS form President Muhammadu Buhari. So far, he has not made any official policy statements about the monetary policy related to the eco.