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China-Africa Infrastructure Cooperation:Building the Groundwork for a Better Future
China-Africa Infrastructure Cooperation:
Building the Groundwork for a Better Future
By: Yi Xin
When speaking of China-Africa cooperation, the word “kaleidoscopic” comes to mind. Recent years have seen fruitful outcomes of the bilateral cooperation in multiple fields. Among them, infrastructure is hardly one to miss.
From the plateau in the east to the coast in the west, from the landlocked countries in the sub-Saharan region to the small island states in the Western Indian Ocean, roads, railways, bridges, ports, schools, hospitals and power stations built with Chinese assistance are paving the groundwork for a better future for a land of promise and potential.
Transport projects drive a more connected future.
“To get rich, build roads first.” This is not just a popular Chinese proverb, but an important takeaway from China’s own development. Drawing on this experience, China has spent decades working with Africa to build the transport backbone necessary for driving economic growth.
It would be remiss not to mention the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway (AADR), a transport artery connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti and the first electrified transnational railway in East Africa. It is a flagship Belt and Road cooperation project, and one of the two main lines of transport in the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa which China put forward in 2022 to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges.
The railway greatly improved the access of countries along the route to the outside world. It has cut transport time for freight goods from more than three days to less than 20 hours, and reduced the cost by at least one-third. To date, the railway has transported 680,000 passengers and 9.5 million tons of cargo, with an average annual growth rate of 39 percent in revenue. As countries in the region grapple with soaring oil prices, the electrified railway has played an increasingly important role in delivering essential materials such as edible oil and fertilizers to meet the needs of socioeconomic development.
In May this year, the Chinese contractors handed over the railway’s management and operation to the African side after six years of smooth operation. Ethiopian Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide said, “The Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway line is an example of the ever-flourishing Sino-African relations. The Sino-African partnership has passed the test of time, demonstrated its resilience, and marks a brighter and strong future.”
In recent years, more and more infrastructure projects in Africa undertaken by China have yielded tangible benefits, often exceeding the traditional transport domain. Since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000, according to the “China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals” white paper, Chinese companies have helped African countries build or upgrade more than 10,000 km of railways, nearly 100,000 km of highways, nearly 1,000 bridges, nearly 100 ports, 66,000 km of power transmission and distribution, an installed power-generating capacity of 120 million kW, a communications backbone network of 150,000 km, and a network service covering nearly 700 million user terminals.
Blue economy cooperation cultivates talent.
The ocean connects countries; it also bears infinite hope. In recent years, under the Vision for Maritime Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and The Belt and Road Blue Cooperation Initiative, China has taken concrete steps to forge a blue partnership with Africa.
In China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 released at the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference in 2021, cooperation on the blue economy is listed as a “new growth area” that can “add value to and sustainably utilize marine resources.” The infrastructure projects in this field have created many local jobs and helped train much-needed engineers, technicians and other skilled professionals for Africa.
The Lamu Port Project in Kenya is an exemplar. It has an important place in Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s long-term development blueprint. Built by a Chinese company, the port is part of Kenya’s bid to become a major trading hub in East Africa.
Over three-quarters of the project’s hirees were African. The Chinese companies send experienced and skilled Chinese workers to provide on-the-job training for local recruits. This was met with much enthusiasm among young Africans. More than 2,500 job opportunities with such tailored training produced a large number of skilled workers. After the project was completed, they were able to find new jobs and lead better lives with the skills they mastered.
Green economy cooperation supercharges energy transition.
China has been an important partner in Africa’s green transition. To date, China has undertaken more than 100 clean energy projects under the FOCAC framework, supporting African countries in making better use of clean energy such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal power.
The De Aar Wind Farm has changed the energy landscape of South Africa. As the first wind power project financed, constructed and operated by a Chinese company in Africa, it supplies 760 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, meeting the electricity needs of 300,000 households. This has contributed to closing the gap caused by unstable clean energy and addressing the electricity shortage in South Africa.
China’s continuous efforts to help develop infrastructure in Africa over the decades find roots in Confucian philosophy. To quote The Analects, “ A man of virtue, while establishing himself and pursuing success, also works to establish others and enable them to succeed as well.” In other words, in pursuing its own development, China sincerely hopes to see African countries, which are also important members of the Global South, become prosperous and strong.
(Yi Xin is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator.)
China-Africa Infrastructure Cooperation:
Building the Groundwork for a Better Future
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
By: Michael Mike
The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Audi has announced that henceforth, career progression courses are now mandatory prerequisites for the promotion of personnel in the agency.
The Commandant General disclosed this in a keynote address he delivered at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NSCDC Cooperative and Investment Society at the National Headquarters, Abuja.
He maintained that all the NSCDC training institutions are given a new phase lift and training curricular for all cadres developed, and currently awaiting full implementation.
The CG also announced that his administration is committed to ending stagnation in the Corps for personnel on grade level 14 and below; he explained that beneficiaries have been paid arrears and applauded President Bola Tinubu for all the support as he tasked Corps personnel to justify the gesture through hard work.
On the welfare of staff, the NSCDC helmsman, who is the grand patron of the society, commended the National Headquarters executive for their programmes in providing succour and palliative for members and warned that misappropriation of funds in the society won’t be condoned but sanctioned accordingly.
Speaking earlier, the President of NSCDC National Headquarters Cooperative Society Limited, Assistant Commandant of Corps, ACC Aina Oladeji Jones, expressed gratitude to the CG and Management team for all the support to the cooperative in their four-year tenure, citing the 90 houses completed and ongoing work in some at the Kuje Housing Estate.
Continuing, he said from a membership of 1500 the society is now over 1,800 and disclosed that a philanthropist has pledged to assist fund the Streamview Hotel and Resort Project to conclusion.
Other highlights of the AGM were the presentation of goodwill messages by a Deputy Director of FCT Cooperative, Segun Salako and a representative of Corrections Cooperative Multipurpose Limited, CSC Okechukwu Edward, as well as the presentation of cheques to retirement beneficiaries and next of kin of deceased NSCDC members who were in the Cooperative and Investment Society Limited.
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
News
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
By: Michael Mike
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has said Nigerians should not fear of delay in collection of international passport as at present there are over 80,000 passport booklets waiting to be issued.
The Minister, speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Friday, said in recent time the passport booklet in reserve have not gone below 50,000.
He said all backlogs of passports have been cleared, noting that the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) no longer owe its service providers regarding printing and supply of passports.
Tunji-Ojo said: “We now have about 80,000 passports in stocks, both the 32 pages and the 70 pages.”
He promised that Nigerians in diaspora would henceforth enjoy seamless acquisition of passports, especially those in United States, Canada and United Kingdom, disclosing that this would come into effect as the Federal Government activates Automated Application system by October.
The Minister said: “Henceforth Nigerians in the diaspora would not need to travel from one country to another to obtained Passports, saying the era of wasting working hours, resources and risking their lives on long journey is gone.
“We are going to do a pre-launch of this automated systems very soon. And by October they will be fully operational. We have a situation in London where we have 16,000 Nigerians applying for Passports, and the capacity of our systems in the Embassy is about 200.
“But now that we have this systems in place, Nigerians would not have to embark on different journeys across the world for Passport acquisition,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Tunji-Ojo while justifying the increase in passports fees, said it is a matter of cost benefits analysis especially “when you look at the rate of dollar compared to naira”.
He also said the increase didn’t affect the cost of passports outside Nigeria, adding that the increase was only about 45 percent.
He noted that the government is not exploiting Nigerians but only increased to cover the cost of procurement of passports.
“If at all government should subsidize anything, I don’t think it should be passports. The increase is just from N35,000 to N50,000 naira. No increase outside Nigeria.”
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
By: Michael Mike
The federal government has suspended some senior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service over an allegation infractions raised by Idris Okuneye (alias Bobrisky)
A statement on Thursday by the Secretary, Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Board. Ja’afaru Ahmed read:
“Following the viral video trending on social media on alleged infractions by Officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service relating to Mr. Idris Okuneye, widely known as Bobrisky, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board has suspended forthwith the following Senior Officers of the Service:
“Michael Anugwa, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State; and
“Sikiru Adekunle, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Maximum-Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos State;
“Also, the Board has suspended ASC II Ogbule Samuel Obinna, serving at the Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Afikpo, Ebonyi State, for allegedly accompanying a convicted inmate out of the Custodial Centre to a location outside the facility.”
In another related development, the Board has equally suspended another Senior Officer of the Service, Iloafonsi Ikechukwu, Deputy Controller of Corrections (DCC), In-Charge of Medium Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kuje- Abuja, for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of an inmate.
Ahmed said: “The suspension of these Officers is to allow for further investigation on the various allegations while assuring that the outcome would be made public when concluded.”
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
Career Progression Courses Are Now Mandatory for Promotion in NSCDC, Insists Audi
Tunji-Ojo: We are Over 80,000 Passport Booklets in Reserve, Nigerians Need Not Entertain Fear of Delay in Issuance of Passport
Bobrisky: FG Suspends Senior Prison Officers
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