africanstudies.org.uk

NIAS is committed to adding value by engaging in quality research and policy reflections towards solving key infrastructure impediments to the emergence of a prosperous Africa.

Our Approach - Partnership

Our partnership with key infrastructure providers and government agencies is a vital tool for achieving our objectives.

We strive daily towards identifying pro poor infrastructure improvement opportunities for a range of African countries, and work with our partners to illuminate the situation through research work, training, seminars and workshops.

Enabling Environment - Sustainability

Where we have identified winning solutions, we engage in lobbying and facilitation work in collaboration with key stakeholders to promote implementation. We also facilitate private public sector linkages for infrastructure project concept development and implementation.

Africa's Power Infrastructure Report

The average price of power in Sub-Saharan Africa is double that in other developing regions, but the supply of electrical power is unreliable throughout the continent. The situation is so dire that countries increasingly rely on emergency power to cope with electricity shortages. The

weakness of the power sector has constrained economic growth and development in the region.

The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) has increased its funding capacity to US$ 600 million, following the signing of a new credit line with the International Finance Corporation, African Development Bank and the Austrian Development Bank. Click here for more news on the EAIF.

The Gold Report - Brock Salier, a mining analyst with GMP Securities Europe, sees plenty of gold coming out of Africa in the coming months and years. In this exclusive Gold Report interview, he says increasing political stability, good geological prospects and governmental recognition of the benefits of mining operations are reasons to look there for growth. For more info click here

Africa Infrastructure - a time for transformation - Recent World Bank report highlights the fact that Infrastructure has been responsible for more than half of Africa’s recent improved growth performance and has the potential to contribute even more in the future. Power is by far Africa’s largest infrastructure challenge, with 30 countries facing regular power shortages and many paying high premiums for emergency power.The infrastructure challenge varies greatly by country type. View report summary here

Increasing Private Investment in Africa's Energy Infrastructure. A report by Dambudzo Muzenda to the ministerial and expert roundtable of the NEPAD-OECD African Investment Initiative. The paper highlights the impediments to private sector participation in African Power Sector. Click here to read full report.

• 40 percent of the population lacks access to safe water;

• 60 percent of the population lacks basic sanitation;

• Only 30 percent of the rural population has access to all seasons road

• Transport costs in Africa are among the highest in the world;

• Only 30 percent of African population have Access to electricity;

• Africa has the lowest telephone penetration 14 percent (the world average is 52 percent);

• Africa has the lowest Internet penetration at 3 percent (the world average - 14 percent).

Africa Infrastructure FACTS