Infrastructure news from around the continent

BOTSWANA

Rural connectivity and e-governance

The government of Botswana is implementing new measures to help expand connectivity across the country.

As reported by ITWeb Africa, Botswana’s Minister of Communications, Knowledge and Technology, Thulagano Segokgo, confirmed the government’s goal of extending the geographical range of mobile signal in the country, as well as pushing fixed services to unconnected rural areas.

“Connectivity, like access to water, is simply a human right,” said the Minister, adding that ongoing connectivity efforts are supported by the development of government online services.

Segokgo noted that the ministry was assessing the tariffs offered by operators and internet service providers to ensure that favourable packages are accessible to consumers and added that the government would strive to look at other policy measures it can adopt to reduce the input costs for operators and in turn reduce tariffs.

Botswana’s government is currently implementing a rural connectivity initiative that aims to connect 500 villages with digital infrastructure, providing internet access to clinics, schools, businesses and municipal buildings in previously unconnected regions.

KENYA

Modern sanitation technology integral to 10 000 classrooms programme

The Kenyan government’s plan to construct an additional 10 000 classrooms to accommodate the expected surge in student numbers once learners transition from primary to junior secondary schools under the Competency-based Curriculum has been welcomed as a necessary step.

The transition will require an increase in teachers, equipment, meals, transport services and other infrastructure that provides access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). These WASH facilities make learning easier and play a key role in improving productivity by reducing incidences of communicable diseases – including diarrhoea and typhoid – which often result in missed school days.

However, one of the main reasons that implementing large infrastructure projects becomes a challenge is due to the disruption to communities that they cause. Kenya is awash with examples of hostilities that arise every time construction begins on a new road, sewer or transmission line.

Luckily, there are great strides in technology that can solve these challenges in a sustainable way.

One such technology is Weholite HDPE, which is being used to manufacture wastewater, stormwater and sewage tanks, as well as manholes.

Unlike other building materials, Weholite HDPE technology enables infrastructure products such as tanks and pipes to be designed and customised to fit at specific sites, then manufactured within a factory level, producing high-quality results. The advantage of this is that school WASH infrastructure can be installed with minimal disruption to communities and at a fast pace.

The lightweight nature also makes such infrastructure easier to transport, which is paramount when the target schools are in far-flung areas. Weholite technology additionally has a service life of over 100 years.

MOZAMBIQUE

US$40 million invested into solar and wind

In the next five years, Mozambique’s publicly owned electricity company – EDM – will add to its capacity a further 600 MW of energy, including 200 MW from renewable sources, to accelerate the process of providing energy to the entire population of the country.

The solar and wind power plants will be constructed under the Renewable Energy Auction Programme. The first solar plant using energy storage will be in the city of Cuamba, Niassa, with a capacity of 15 MW. There will also be plants at Dondo, Sofala, and Lichinga, Niassa. A wind power plant is being planned in the town of Namaacha, Maputo.

A representative of the EU, Verlee Smet, proposed the development of an energy resource centre to strengthen the national distribution network and ensure the achievement of universal coverage by the end of 2030. “The EU will support the government to develop the National Renewable Energy Centre that will be key to the integration of renewable energy by providing greater control of the balance between supply and demand to ensure the stability of the network.”

NAMIBIA

Prepaid water after 20 years of using communal tap

Residents of Havana informal settlement in Windhoek recently received prepaid water meters from the City of Windhoek. This comes after over 20 years of using communal taps.

Windhoek’s mayor, Sade Gawanas, stressed that the prepaid meters – which will allow residents to buy water based on their consumption – will help them steer clear of further debt while keeping track of their consumption per month.

“It is very important to take note that council made the write-off of debt conditional that the existing conventional meters are converted to prepaid water meters. This is to ensure control over consumption and that residents do not fall back into debt,” she added.

NIGERIA

Economy outpacing electricity supply

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, has admitted that Nigeria’s current electricity generation was incapable of powering the economy of over 200 million Nigerians. The new board of the Transmission Company of Nigeria is charged with strengthening the transmission network to boost power supply to Nigerians. Nigeria had been hovering at around 5 000 MW of power and has had an inconsistent power supply.

Aliyu urged the board not to stand against sustainable electricity in the country but ensure management of the national grid and administer the wholesale electricity market to Nigerians. “Your appointment as directors of the organisation is a great honour. All the appointees that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed are suitably qualified and are worthy of appointment for a very critical component of the nation’s power sector value chain.” Once residents have applied for the prepaid meters, they will be able to buy water from Pick n Pay outlets in Eros, Grove Mall and Wernhil, as well as Otjomuise Dehli and Soweto Service Station, among other vending points. The application process is easy and affordable.

Residents can apply for an amount of N$4 200 approximately but will have a choice between upfront payment or repayment over five years. That repayment will then be loaded on to the person's unique tariff and they can pay it off in any way over those five years. Pensioners and other vulnerable members of the community, as well as residents who are in arrears, were prioritised during the roll-out of the campaign.