₦airaland Forum

awodman: ...."These countries have set ambitious goals in electric
power generation, and are making the utility and energy
sector reforms to pave the way for investment and
growth," a White House statement said.....

this is a confirmation of the genuineness of the current Electricity reforms in Nigeria by the White House...

Also, contrary to the claim in the story that the country has borrowed from local and international banks to finance recurrent spending, the Jonathan administration has in fact reversed the tendency of borrowing to finance recurrent as was the practice in the past.

[size=14pt](CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama pledged $7 billion Sunday to help combat frequent power blackouts in sub-Saharan Africa.[/size]

Funds from the initiative, dubbed Power Africa, will be distributed over the next five years. Obama made the announcement during his trip to South Africa, the continent's biggest economy.

"Access to electricity is fundamental to opportunity in this age. It's the light that children study by, the energy that allows an idea to be transformed into a real business. It's the lifeline for families to meet their most basic needs, and it's the connection that's needed to plug Africa into the grid of the global economy," he said.

Two-thirds of the population of sub-Saharan Africa lacks access to electricity, including more than 85% of those living in rural areas, the White House said.

"A light where currently there is darkness -- the energy to lift people out of poverty -- that's what opportunity looks like," Obama told students at Cape Town University. "So this is America's vision: a partnership with Africa for growth, and the potential for every citizen, not just a few at the top."

The program includes $1.5 billion from the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation and $5 billion from the Export-Import Bank, the White House said. Sub-Saharan Africa will need more than $300 billion to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, it said.

The preliminary setup will include Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique.

"These countries have set ambitious goals in electric power generation, and are making the utility and energy sector reforms to pave the way for investment and growth," a White House statement said.

Obama's three-nation African trip started in Senegal and will end in Tanzania this week. The visit aims to bolster U.S. investment opportunities, address development issues such as food security and health, and promote democracy.

It comes as China aggressively engages the continent, pouring billions of dollars into it and replacing the United States as Africa's largest trading partner.

Obama applauded China's investment in Africa, saying he is "not threatened by it."
Africa's greater integration into the global economy will benefit everyone with the potential creation of new jobs and opportunities, he said.

"I'm here because I think the United States needs to engage with a continent full of promise and possibility," Obama said. "It's good for the United States. I welcome the attention that Africa is receiving from China, Brazil, India and Turkey."

However, he urged African officials to ensure that those who invest in the continent and its natural resources benefit Africans in terms of jobs and other assets.

Obama also visited Robben Island, where anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela spent a majority of his 27-year imprisonment, on Sunday. And he spoke at Cape Town University, the site of a famous speech by Robert F. Kennedy at the height of apartheid in 1966.

Obama heads next to Tanzania, where he is scheduled to attend events until Tuesday.
5 things Obama wants young South Africans to know

CNN's Laura Bernardini contributed to this report

chei: Onye orianya. How are they wastes?

Afam4eva: Stick to the topic or don't comment at all. The title of the thread is explicit enough. if you must discuss the economic importance of these house then you're free to create a new thread. I don't know what is it with Nigerians and bad belle. No thread is sacrosanct anymore. Anywhere you see people smiling and having fun, you guys will just appear from nowhere with your negative comments to poison the thread. Stop it. it's not good. It's you people that will say Igbos cannot develop or build a house where they come from and when they do, you'll say they're building it for termites. What exactly do you people want?

omongbatic: Jealousy. Any of those houses look derelict to you?

Afam4eva: You're not smart!

The thread says "Post photos of your village house" and not "Of what what benefit are village houses".

This is how people fail JAMB.

peppy luv: I know whr u are 4rm! But let me not use an idiot like u to insult or generalise the whole state,u r in okorocha's group that betray their Igbo brothers .NKITA ALA

omongbatic: Who is this idioooot? Please go and continue living in the creeks. At least 30% of the houses in your own village/town/city are owned by Igbos

barcanista: why are ACn folks crying? was state1st Lady constitutional when Oluremi Tinubu was in office? Is the title Governor-emeritus constitutional that is attributed to Bola Tinubu? i guess First Lady only become unconstitutional when Jonathan took over. GET some life critics, the Office of the First Lady has been in existence for as long as i can remember, its a ceremonial position that allows for the President's wife to occupy in the Federal Level. and shall remain so till Arsenal Sign Garba Lawal

Ilaje44: Aktually, you dont need a chart, because you are peddling falsehood. Firstly, all the countries involved are basically raw material exporting countries. Secondly corruption and inefficiency is common to all. Thirdly, the Naira is already dollarized a long time ago. The value of the Naira is pegged to the Dollar.

However, you are very on point with the matter of inter-ECOWAS trade. I really laughed when I read they are planning a single currency, when they are busy imposing all manner of barriers to impede free flow of good among themselves. If there was free trade in the ECOWAS, the Lagos port would have to up its game else, a lot of people would have chosen to have their goods come in through Cotonou or even Lome.

CFCfan: The ECOWAS treaty would have to be enforced in order to guarantee that those same trade barriers are minimised. For instance, ECOWAS passport holders may not need a visa to visit another ECOWAS country, if they are visiting for, say, 3 or 4 months.

cap28: awareness gives Africans the true picture of why they are poor and underdeveloped and who is causing it - in order to tackle a problem you must understand its root causes. once you understand where your problem is coming from you can start to find ways to correct it.

On another occasion, she sent the Minister of Water Resources, Mrs. Serah Ochekpe, to represent her at a book launch in honour of President Olusegun Obasanjo at the latter’s Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

grandlexuz: Yeah you are right! Nations are partnering with each other. Venezuela just became the 51st state of the USA. China has finally given in to the allegations of currency manipulation by the US. They have adopted a single currency to be called ballabriggs..lol Russia too has finally given in to pressure from the West to allow NATO teach Bashad Allasad of Syria the lesson that was taught to Gadaffi. Mugabe is finally handing back farms seized from Whites farmers..Finally the Mao Mao fighters who thought they were badly tortured during the fight for Independence; have turned down the British compensation. They just realised they could not have gotten a better treatment at the hands of the colonialists 50 years ago!

cap28: create awareness - its important if u don't know.

cap28: You do not know your history - this is why you make such daft statements.

What is defeatist about saying Britain's wealth is stolen from Africa?

You are rejoicing that I have no power, but the people who have been ra.ping Africa for over 5 centuries still have the power and they have no intention of stopping their ongoing ra.pe of Africa - Don't you think you should be more concerned about them rather than me?

In order to move forward you must understand where you went wrong - this is why history is important - but in your book looking back is defeatist - if looking back is defeatist why do the jews keep talking about the holocaust that occurred over 60 years ago?

redsun: I don't see it like that.I think every through african has the right to weep and be very angry at what is happening in africa,It seem like majority are in darkness and no set precedences for the present generation,no hope.It shouldn't be so at any given time.

redsun: That guy has nothing to do with the likes of woolish cannibal.He hammers on african consciousness and awareness,like few other guys here,they are not psychopathically fanatical,but they hit the points.The need for people to realize what the game is all about.

The game has been on for milleniums,yet people still can not learn from provable histories that those who lacks are those that are unaware.The ignorant.

cap28: Typical - praising your oppressors for stealing from you, and yet you expect them to respect you.

I wouldn't be caught dead in Dubai not to talk of holding my wedding there.

cap28: You missed out one very important fact about Britain - all of their wealth is stolen - from Africa - did you know that?

skyfall: That's assuming you'll stay the entire 6 months at a stretch. Most people go for 1- or 2-wk holidays.

And for the 3k, I don't blame them. We're the ones who refused to fix our country, amidst vast resources and run to UK like it's heaven.