Essential The Africa the Media Doesn't Tell You About

[Scientific Playa]

Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo state today tied the knot with Lara Fortes.

The high profile wedding was attended by big shots in the society such as President-elect, Buhari, his vice Yemi Osibanjo and wife,Dangote, Femi Otedola,Nasir-el-Rufai,Kanayo O
Kanayo and others.Also present at the wedding were the bride's parents.

See photos from the wedding below....

Source: http://riri4.blogspot.com/2015/05/a_15.html

5 things you should know about governor’s bride-to-be [PHOTOS]
Oshiomhole’s wedding will hold at 10am at the Etsako West Local Government Council Marriage Registry in the Auchi area of the state while the reception will take place at the governor’s country home in Iyamho.

• Published: 13.05.2015 ,

http://pulse.ng/local/adams-oshiomh...-governor-s-bride-to-be-photos-id3753914.html
Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole is set to remarry on Friday, May 15, 2015, five years after losing his first wife, Clara.

Oshiomhole’s wedding will hold at 10am at the Etsako West Local Government Council Marriage Registry in the Auchi area of the state while the reception will take place at the governor’s country home in Iyamho.

Here are five things you should know about Oshiomhole’s new bride:

1. Her name is Lara Fortes.
   
   
2. She is from Cape Verde
   
   
3. She’s said to be a former model and air hostess.
   
   
4. She’s in her thirties.
   
   
5. She was earlier seen with the governor at the 50th birthday party of Grace Ihonvbere, wife of Secretary to the Edo State Government, Julius Ihonvbere on March 21 in Abuja.
   

• 

 

[BigMan]

 

[Wepa Man]

Last few shots

Local Chief...these nikkaz are Goons of the highest order...look at his bodygaurds...all color coordinatin and shyt

A lil Gift for ya''lll
Former Miss World/mISS Nigeria

This just made my day

 

[Scientific Playa]

Ethiopia Rides Manufacturing Boom

Photo: Addis Fortune


press release

The government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has ushered in a manufacturing boom that is set to make the country a major regional player across several lines of products.

The widespread eagerness to invest is made that much more due to a large domestic market and an increasing number of skilled workers.

It is no wonder that some have dubbed Ethiopia as the 'Bangladesh of Africa' and with good reason. There has been tangible success already, with Chinese, Turkish and European garment manufacturers seeking to expand their operations.

However there are plenty of other areas worthy of attention.

The major manufacturing activities are in the production of food, beverages, tobacco, textiles and garments.

There are also opportunities in leather goods, paper, metallic and non-metallic mineral products, cement and chemicals.

Under the Growth and Transformation Plan (2010/11-2014/15), production of textile and garments, leather products, cement industry, metal and engineering, chemical, pharmaceuticals and agro-processing are priority areas for investment.

Thus there are ample manufacturing opportunities for prospective investors in the following areas:

- Textiles and clothing. Spinning, weaving and finishing of textiles from the beginning and the production of garments; manufacture of knitted and crocheted fabrics, carpets and sportswear and so on. The choice is yours.

- Food and beverage products; processing of meat and meat products, fish and fish products and fruits and vegetables. Investors can also delve into integrated production and processing of dairy products; manufacture of starch and starch products; processing of animal feed and processing and bottling of mineral water.

Other products to manufacture include sugar, brewing and wine-making, processing of pulses, oil seeds or cereals, manufacture of macaroni/pasta products.

- Tannery and leather products. You may decide to venture in the tanning of hides and skins up to finished level; manufacturing of luggage items; handbags, saddle and harness items. There is also footwear. Ethiopia's footwear industry and leather sector in general enjoy significant international comparative advantages owing to the country's abundant and available raw materials, highly disciplined workforce and cheap prices. Ethiopia boasts the largest livestock production in Africa, and the 10th largest in the world. Ethiopia annually produces 2.7 million hides, 8.1 million sheepskins and 7.5 million goat skins. This comparative advantage is further underlined by the fact that the costs of raw hides and skins constitute on average 55-60% of the production of semi-processed leather.

Ethiopia's leather and leather product sector produce a range of products from semi-processed leather in various forms to processed leathers including shoe uppers, leather garments, stitched upholstery, backpacks, purses, industrial gloves and finished leather.

Ethiopian leather products have been exported to markets in Europe (especially Italy and the UK), America, Canada, China, Japan and other far eastern countries and the Middle East. Leather is also exported to African countries including Nigeria and Uganda.

- Glass and ceramics. This area includes tableware and sanitary ware, sheet glass and containers.

- Chemicals and chemical products. In this category is the manufacture of basic chemicals (including ethanol) using local raw materials which are plentiful. Other products that can be made in Ethiopia are fertilizer and nitrogen, soda ash, rubber, PVC granules from ethyl alcohol and caustic soda. We can add chlorine-based chemicals, carbon and activated carbon, precipitated calcium carbonate and ballpoint ink to the items already mentioned. Varnishes, soaps and detergents are other products easily manufactured in Ethiopia. There is a host of by-products from the chemical industry not forgetting pesticides and fungicides.

- Drugs and pharmaceuticals. This includes the manufacture of pharmaceutical medicinal, chemical and botanical products. These can come in the form of tablets, capsules, syrups and injectables

- Paper and paper products. Pulp from indigenous raw materials is readily available.

- Plastic products. Investors may choose to go into high pressure pipes or pipe fittings, shower hoods, wash basins, insulating fittings, light fittings, office and school supplies. The list is long.

- Building materials. There is room to invest in the making of lime, gypsum, marble, granite, limestone, ceramics, tubes, pipes and fittings. Amidst a building boom, you cannot go wrong going into this sector.

Less you have questions; the Ethiopian Investment Commission can guide you every step of the way. The services include;

- Promoting the country's investment opportunities and conditions to foreign and domestic investors;

- Issuing investment permits, business licenses and construction permits;

- Notarizing memorandum and articles of association and amendments;

- Issuing commercial registration certificates as well as renewals, amendments, replacements or cancellations;

- Effecting registration of trade or firm name and amendment, as well as replacements or cancellations;

- Issuing work permits, including renewals, replacements, suspensions or cancellations;

- Grading first grade construction contractors;

- Registering technology transfer agreements and export-oriented non-equity-based foreign enterprise collaborations with domestic investors;

- Negotiating and, upon government approval, signing bilateral investment promotion and protection treaties with other countries

- Advising the government on policy measures needed to create an attractive investment climate for investors

- Ethiopian Embassy in Uganda

East African Business Week (Kampala)
22 March 2015

 

[Scientific Playa]

http://www.ethpress.gov.et/herald/

Ethiopia's Economic Miracle Isn't 'Running Out of Steam'

"Ethiopia's Economic Miracle Is Running Out of Steam" was the title of an op-ed piece by Mr. Robert Looney, published on the Foreign Policy website on April 16. It's a strange article, picking up figures and data going back over a decade and (mis)using these to try and make the point that Ethiopia is now at a turning point and that economic growth can only be sustained if the government allows and encourages a transition to a more dynamic model driven by the private sector. Significantly, Mr. Looney also added the sub-title: "Why it's time for East Africa's big success story to change the way it does business." This emphasizes the point that the main thrust of the piece is to claim that the 'developmental state', however currently successful would be unable to last the pace. In other words, Mr. Looney wants to see a shift away from the current successful developmental state model towards a right-wing neo-liberal agenda.

Mr. Looney's very basic errors suggest his knowledge of Ethiopia is minimal. It is extremely disappointing when serious publications like Foreign Policy, with its deserved and substantial reputation, fails to make the most basic check on information in work published on its website even if the work is no more than an op-ed. It really should have a higher regard for its own reputation, than to allow work it publishes to contain such inaccuracies. The most basic account of Ethiopia will include the information that the country has a parliament of 547 members not 175 as Mr. Looney claims.

Mr. Looney does make a number of valid points. There has, indeed, been a dramatic difference between the famine images of thirty years ago and the highly impressive growth rate of over 10% over the last decade. Ethiopia is indeed aiming to become a middle-income country by 2025 and is on track to achieve this. It has already met or is coming close to meeting all Millennium Development Goals, including universal primary education and reductions in infant and maternal mortality. The poverty rate has fallen significantly over the last decade to under 26% percent in 2013. Unemployment is falling and inflation is down.

While admitting this, Mr. Looney, however, sees this progress as coming at a price and claims the Government's "obsession" with meeting high growth targets at any cost has resulted in widespread popular anger and discontent. He suggests this is visible along regional and ethnic lines. The Government isn't "obsessive" about its growth targets and there is no sign of this supposed "widespread popular anger and discontent" whether in regions or among ethnic groups. To begin with the growth is largely based on the development of small-holder agriculture, which the Government sees as the backbone of agricultural development. This, of course, has little to do with international finance and far more to do with local input and local development.

In this context, Mr. Looney doesn't appear aware that so-called 'land grabs" are far smaller than claimed -_ no more than 300,000 hectares, out of a possible 3 million, have been allocated for agricultural development, and most have yet to be distributed or developed. There has been no displacement of local populations for such developments as a number of independent investigations have clearly demonstrated._ Mr. Looney manages to confuse these developments with the widespread and successful village commune programmes to provide for facilities including water, housing, education, health and other social services at local level for previously scattered households. It might be added that 70% of Ethiopia's budget goes on pro-poor policies and it has successfully brought poverty levels down by 15% over the past 15 years.

Mr. Looney claims that if the EPRDF claims victory in the May national and regional elections this will be the result of repressive political tactics, including harassment of the opposition, crackdown on protests and jailing of critical journalists, rather than its economic progress. He might mention a number of other factors, not least the failure of the dozen or more opposition parties to produce serious alternative policies, and their failure to co-operate among themselves. At the last election in 2010, opposition parties had some 40% of the vote in Addis Ababa but failed to take a single seat because of their failure to make an electoral pacts. In 2005, of course, the opposition won a significant number of seats, including all in Addis Ababa. In a fit of arrogance for which there was, in fact, no reason, they claimed to have won the election overall, and refused to take up their seats or take over the administration of Addis Ababa. Many voters have never forgiven them.

 

[Scientific Playa]

Mr. Looney described Government policies as "authoritarian developmentalism" prioritizing state-directed economic growth over human rights or genuine political pluralism, and adds "this has worked for some time "but can't be sustained for much longer." His argument is that mounting ethnic and regional unrest and limited financial capacity poses serious impediment to continued growth and that public investments in infrastructure, state enterprises, and human capital are outrunning the country's financial capacity. He then argues the government's hope of achieving its ambitious development goals therefore depend on willingness to scale back its control of the economy and letting the private sector fill the gap - and this requires democratic reforms, or rather in fact, neo-liberal economic reforms here he also failed to note the significant role the private sector is playing in the economy.

Mr. Looney claims, and here again it seems clear he has done no homework, that Ethiopia now faces major funding roadblocks. Certainly, the Government finances some projects through international loans and uses direct local state-owned bank financing to raise funds for other projects. The Nile Dam is being funded in full locally, while the railways are largely, though not exclusively funded from telecommunication profits. There are, of course, other alternatives including increasing revenue income, expanding exports and shifting the main thrust of the economy from agriculture to industrialization - all of which is in progress._ Mr. Looney might have taken a look at the evaluations of Fitch, Moodys' and Standard and Poor credit ratings last year (of B and B1) - it's far from clear that Mr. Looney is even aware of the fact that Ethiopia launched a sovereign credit bond last year. Fitch recently provided another B rating this year.

Mr. Looney states categorically that "Ethiopia's state-led development model is ultimately unsustainable if the government lacks the capacity to maintain the required rates of public investment." Dismissing any consideration that this might be possible, he says firmly "the only realistic alternative is to scale back state control of the economy, enabling the private sector to drive further growth", adding that this must involve secure property rights for the private sectors, impartial third-party contract enforcement, increased economic freedom, and quality public education. These Mr. Looney appears to consider the most important cornerstones of democracy. He should therefore be pleased to know that all have been or are being implemented in Ethiopia over the last decade. In fact, if Mr. Looney had bothered to look at the details of Government policies as laid out in the GTP I and elsewhere and also in the GTP II (though to be fair to Mr. Looney this has yet to be finalized and published) he would have some idea of what is actually being carried out and to what extent the Government's pro-poor and relevant economic policies are being implemented.

Having made all his criticisms of Government policies, Mr. Looney cheerfully contradicts himself in admitting "some selective governance and economic reforms have already begun". He agrees that a decline in corruption has taken place and the Government has instituted civil service reforms. Indeed, he says this makes Ethiopia second only to Kenya among East African countries in World Bank ranking of government effectiveness. In case this appears too optimistic, Mr. Looney then quickly adds that "progress in other areas has been underwhelming and he says "It's no surprise that the country ranks dead last in World Bank measures of voice and accountability, political stability, and absence of violence." Ethiopia doesn't attach much importance to these sorts of rankings, not least because of the typically incestuous use to which they are put. Equally, there are a number of problems with the way Mr. Looney tries to use them. One is that the categories are not actually World Bank rankings. They are on the World Bank website but a rather important disclaimer is attached: The Worldwide Governance Indicators are a research dataset summarizing the views on the quality of governance provided by a large number of enterprise, citizen and expert survey respondents in industrial and developing countries. The WGI do not reflect the official views of the World Bank, its Executive Directors, or the countries they represent. The WGI are not used by the World Bank Group to allocate resources.

The other major problem with Mr. Looney's claim is that he seriously misinterprets the figures. Ethiopia does not rank anywhere near last, let alone "dead last", in these measures of voice and accountability on the World Bank website. Indeed, it ranks above most of the other countries in the Horn of Africa, let alone more widely. In any case, no one with any real knowledge of Ethiopia or the region would seriously suggest that it could rank below the failed states in the region, or the pariah state of Eritrea, in measures of voice and accountability, let alone political stability, the absence of violence, rule of law or control of corruption.

Mr. Looney goes on to claim that since 2005, "Ethiopia has also experienced an almost continuous decline in Heritage House's measure of economic freedom, placing it last in the region." By Heritage House, Mr. Looney presumably means the Heritage Foundation which is no lover of Ethiopia for admitted ideological reasons, but even this says Ethiopia has improved significantly over the last couple of years with "considerable improvements in monetary freedom, freedom from corruption and labour freedom". It is nowhere near last in any Heritage Foundation measurements in Africa, or even in the sub-region with_ for example Eritrea which ranks last but one in the world, far below.

There is, of course, room for discussion and debate on aspects of Ethiopia's economic and developmental policies but Mr. Looney's article simply doesn't engage with them. There are always debates among economists, and discussions will no doubt continue over the speed and extent of changes required in policies. Equally, however, there is no need to see these providing the sort of apocalyptic developmental state collapse of which Mr. Looney and other right wing ideologue appears to hope Ethiopia will provide an example.

It is in any case worth re-emphasizing one thing in particular. Current policies are working. It is very clear Ethiopia's state-led development model hasn't yet "run its course". There is no sign of what Mr. Looney suggests are "abuses associated with that model galvanizing large segments of the population against the government." It might be added that if_ Mr. Looney had anything like the knowledge he appears to claim he would know the Government has consistently and strongly encouraging the private sector and public-private partnerships as well as Foreign Direct Investment and with considerable success. In practice, the Ethiopian developmental state only intervenes in areas where the private sector is unable or unwilling to engage. Investments made in infrastructure development, for example, are meant to ease the constraints limiting private sector involvement and allow it to be competitive.

 

[Scientific Playa]

Increasing power supply pumping a lifeblood into the industry sector : EEP
Details
Published Date
Written by DESTA GEBRE-HIWOT
Category: News
Hits: 26

• 
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Misikir Negash



The Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) said that as adequate electricity supply highly contributes to the crystallization of the sought-for leap that puts industrialization at the driver's seat and spur sustainable economic growth, the government over the lats two decades, has been making significant strides in bringing into play mega power generation projects to meet the pressing demand for electricity.

In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian Press Agency, Ethiopian Electric Power External Public Relation Director Misikir Negash said that the country's consecutive economic growth has built the nation's capacity and confidence in carrying out mega power generation projects by its own. The country has been undertaking the translation of mega projects into action earmarking a huge amount of money to scale up the supply of electricity much needed for the growing industry sector.

The growing industry and ongoing economic development put much demand on electric power. To meet the demand, the country has launched 8 power generation projects during the last decades, Misikir added.

According to the Director the country is striving to further boost its power supply by five folds as per of GTP II. The construction of hydro-power dams and power distribution station projects has proceeded apace. Works in Gibe III are being undertaken round-the-clock to herald power generation by the end of this year. The construction work is almost 90.28 per cent through. The construction phase of Genale Dawa III project has hit the 71.83 per cent mark. The dam will have the capacity of 254 MW.

The Adama II Wind Farm Project is due to reach the 93 per cent mark with the previously installed turbines currently generating up to 45 MW per minute each. The construction of the GERD has also reached 42.54 per cent. When the envisaged dams see completion, the country will have adequate power supply for the industry sector.

Besides, the government is trying to ensure fair and equitable power distribution through its rural electrification programmes. Around 5300 urban and rural kebelles are now connected to the grid. The country has also manged to produce and supply 80 per cent of construction materials need for the mega projects avoiding importing costs. The coverage of electricity has also reached 55 per cent.

Through the power development projects, an average of 50,000 job opportunities have been created so far.

Having identified the source of power disruption in some areas, the government is making extensive efforts through different mechanism to address the disruptions.

Hailing the contribution of the public in realizing the mega projects, the Director called up on the people to press ahead backing up the construction of mega dams including GERD.

 

[Scientific Playa]

Road sector dev't said altering nation's economic and societal evolution
Details
Published Date
Written by MENGISTAEB TESHOME
Category: News
Hits: 40

• 
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The first Expressway in Ethiopia from Addis Ababa to Adama. Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) Communication

Directorate Director Samson Wondimu



The Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) said the national road development programme reached more than hundred thousands kilometer during the past 24 years of progress.

Briefing journalists here yesterday, Communication Directorate Director of ERA Samson Wondimu said: “Road transport provides means for the movement of peoples and agricultural products from rural areas to urban areas, and movement of industrial goods, modern agricultural inputs and peoples from urban areas to rural areas. Road transport also provides a means for the utilization of land and natural resources, improved agricultural production and marketing, access to social services, and opportunities for sustainable growth.”

Because of road network shortage, citizens were obliged to walk for more than ten hours to reach the main asphalt road. Now the road net work has reached a coverage of more than 100 thousands kilo metres, he added.

According to Samson, recognizing the importance of road transport in supporting social and economic growth and its role as a catalyst to meet poverty reduction targets, the government has put marked emphasis on raising the quality and the size of road infrastructure.

“Due to low road coverage and poor condition of the entire network, the government formulated the Road Sector Development Programme (RSDP) in 1997.”

The RSDP has already been implemented over a period of four successive phases.

The physical works consisting of rehabilitation and upgrading of trunk and link roads, construction of new link roads, rural roads and district roads and maintenance of federal and regional roads have been carried out by the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA), Regional Roads Authority (RRAs) and Woreda Road office (WRO) and the community and municipalities.

“For instance the budget allocation has dramatically risen from 1.6 billion Birr in 1991 over 29 billion Birr in 2015. Main road net works among neighbouring countries are also being constructed and expanded.”

Samson said, more than 92 local contractors and 62 consultants are now taking part in the sector. The government has offered various loans, training personnel to empower them. In the GTP I the road development has achieved its goals, but as the demand is still high, the government will continue to engage extensively in road projects in the coming GTP-II too.

http://www.ethpress.gov.et/herald/i...ring-nation-s-economic-and-societal-evolution

 

[Scientific Playa]

News

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Dangote says Tanzania factory opening in August

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - The Dangote Group plans to start cement production at its new Mtwara factory by August.

This was disclosed after a meeting between Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete and the Nigerian multi-billionaire, Alhaji Aliko Dangote (pictured right) last week. at State House.

The $500 million dollar factory, which has an annual capacity of three million tonnes, will double the country’s annual output of cement to six million tonnes.

The plan is that the Tanzanian plant will supply the domestic market and export to landlocked countries in the region.

Last year, Dangote also applied for a license to build a 75MW coal-fired plant in Tanzania that would power the cement factory.

Dangote will be competing with the likes of Tanzania Portland Cement, owned by a subsidiary of Germany’s Heidelberg Cement AG. Others are Tanga Cement, owned by Afrisam Mauritius Investment Holdings Limited and the Lafarge-owned Mbeya Cement Limited.

The Dangote Group plans to roll out plants across Africa to reach an annual capacity of 62 million tonnes by 2017, up from an estimated 42 million tonnes last year.

Meanwhile, Dangote has thrown out strong hints that he is interested in buying British Barclays Premier league team, Arsenal, although no figures have been mooted.

By John Sambo, Sunday, May 10th, 2015

http://www.busiweek.com/index1.php?Ctp=2&pI=3264&pLv=3&srI=49&spI=27&cI=10

 

[Scientific Playa]

may be a Trojan horse to get Monsanto poison gmo seeds/crops in the land



Banking on Rwanda feeder road upgrades

COULD BE BETTER: The project will mean that rural people have better roads to transport their produce to markets.


KIGALI, Rwanda - The United States government, through the World Bank, has channelled $50 million for upgrading selected Rwanda feeder roads.

“The US government is proud to support this initiative and I want to recognize the strong partnership we have between Rwanda’s Ministry of Agriculture and the World Bank on this effort,” Erica Barks Ruggles, the US Ambassador to Rwanda said during the signing ceremony in Kigali last week.

With improved feeder road network Rwanda’s supply chain to markets will become more efficient.

The money is being disbursed through the World Bank Feeder Roads Development Project and overseen in Rwanda by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

“Together we are aiming very high and working very hard to supporting Rwanda’s aspirations to bring a prosperous future to all these people,” Ruggles said.

Rwanda has made significant progress in poverty reduction. This has much to do with strong partnerships in implementing programmes and projects with various international partners.

Ruggles said, “As part of US’s $3.5 billion global Feed the Future Programme initiative. The US government has made a strong commitment to agriculture production; quality and increasing quantity of production here in Rwanda with MINAGRI, and such programmes are aimed at improving farmers’ livelihoods as well as encourage investment for value added production in the agricultural sector”.

“Despite these efforts which have been very successful, physical infrastructure still remains a very big problem which is why feeder roads are very important because they remain a major constraint to rural communities getting their products to markets in a timely manner,” Ruggles said.

The project is aimed at rehabilitating and maintaining 350 kilometres of rural roads in selected districts such as Nyabihu, Nyanza, Gatsibo, Nyagatare, and Kayonza, and is therefore aimed at reducing rural poverty by enhancing the connection between agricultural market centers allowing women to get more market for their products since most women in rural areas are farmers and also allowing those social, educational and health benefits that accrue when there are feeder roads.

“Rural roads which link farmers to markets and service providers to poor communities play a fundamental role in promoting prosperity in the rural areas. We are delighted to be working with USAID in expanding the network of rural roads,” WB Country Manager in Rwanda Carolyn Turk said.

Turk said, “Rwanda has excellent investments in terraces, growing investments in irrigation but none of these would bare fruits if farmers cannot get their goods to the markets in a way that makes them competitive on both domestic and global markets”.

“This is really what we in partnership with the US government and the partnerships with others that we have are trying to achieve,” she said.

The Rwanda Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Geraldine Mukeshimana said at the same function, “This support will not only go to supporting the ministry’s strategic plan but also to the national strategic plan.”

By Agnes Bateta, Sunday, May 10th, 2015

http://www.busiweek.com/index1.php?Ctp=2&pI=3243&pLv=3&srI=58&spI=24&cI=19

 

[Poitier]

African states to interconnect power grids

• Countries in East and Central Africa plan to use $390 million from the African Development Bank and other donors to build high voltage cross-border electricity transmission lines.
• Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) — the investment programme of the Nile Basin Initiative based in Entebbe, Uganda — is currently overseeing implementation of various projects that will also benefit Tanzania and interconnect with South African Power Pool (SAPP).
• Building of high voltage transmission lines of 400 kilovolt (kV), 220kV and 110kV with substations linking electricity grids of Nile Basin Initiative countries will facilitate power exchange and trading in East and Central Africa.

Countries in East and Central Africa plan to use $390 million from the African Development Bank and other donors to build high voltage cross-border electricity transmission lines.

The lines are expected to seamlessly interconnect electricity grids in the Nile Equatorial Lakes countries with Kenya linking with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo once the grids are completed.

The Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Programme (NELSAP) — the investment programme of the Nile Basin Initiative based in Entebbe, Uganda — is currently overseeing implementation of various projects that will also benefit Tanzania and interconnect with South African Power Pool (SAPP).

NELSAP based in Kigali, Rwanda has mobilised $390 million from the AfDB, Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), Germany, Netherlands and European Union. NELSAP is complemented by each country using its own resources and donor funds.

NELSAP said the countries will start electricity trading after six cross-border transmission lines under different phases of construction are completed and commissioned over the June 2015 to December 2016 time frame.

Building of high voltage transmission lines of 400 kilovolt (kV), 220kV and 110kV with substations linking electricity grids of Nile Basin Initiative countries will facilitate power exchange and trading in East and Central Africa.

Rwanda will start buying 30 megawatts from Kenya Power in July by paying US cents 14 for each kilowatt, with the price to be reviewed every two years. Existing transmission lines in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda will be used.

READ: Rwanda plans to import power from Kenya by 2015

Kenya Power, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (UETCL) and Rwanda Energy Group Ltd (REG) signed an agreement in December 2014 for conveying power in another entity’s transmission line to the client. Kenya Power and REG have also signed a five-year power purchase deal.

The seventh Project Technical Committee of NELSAP, which was concluded in Nairobi on May 7, discussed construction issues involving cross-border connectors set to link Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and DR Congo.

The Project Technical Committee is made up of technical experts drawn from ministries in charge of energy, electricity, utility companies responsible for power transmission in each country and supervising consultants of international projects.

Kenya’s Energy principal secretary Joseph Njoroge said high voltage cross-border lines will enhance power trade by enabling countries with less electricity to buy power from their counterparts who have excess capacity.

He said international consultants supervising building of interconnectors with other contractors need to adhere to the set construction schedules to enable faster completion and commissioning of the projects in the region.

The projects will contribute to improved socioeconomic development as all the interconnected Nile Equatorial Lakes countries will benefit from reliable and affordable power delivered to consumers.

The Kenya to Uganda interconnection project has a 400kV overhead transmission line of 132.5 kilometres from Lessos to Tororo and 220kV line of 127 kilometres from Bujagali to Tororo.

The 166 kilometres from Uganda to Rwanda cross-border facility of 220kV comprises of Shango to Birembo, Shango to Mirama and Mbarara to Mirama overhead transmission lines with requisite substations.

The Rwanda to Burundi link entails building of 220 kilovolt covering 143 kilometres from Kigoma, Butare, Ngozi to Gitega and associated substations. The Burundi to DR Congo line of 220kV covering a distance of 77.8 kilometres from Kamanyola to Bujumbura has a substation at Kamanyola.

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/bus...2560/2718798/-/item/1/-/15734rjz/-/index.html

 

[I_Got_Da_Burna]

just got back from Kenya....loved it

 

[Scientific Playa]

Published on May 19, 2015
Chinese man speaking pidgin on plane to a Nigeria woman during a miss understanding

 

[Scientific Playa]

Lagos Gov Fashola Visits US Capitol

 

[TMNT4000]

Lagos Gov Fashola Visits US Capitol

What this mean?