Africa Briefs
Tanzania to sign deal for power plant
Tanzania will sign a deal this week for the construction of a US$3 billion hydroelectric power plant, president John Magufuli said in remarks broadcast on state television.
Egypt's El Sewedy Electric company will be involved in building the plant, Tanzania's energy minister said yesterday.
The 2 100 MW project would more than double the country's power generation capacity. But the project's location is in a World Heritage site and has faced opposition from conservationists. They have said the construction of a dam on a major river that runs through the Selous Game Reserve could affect wildlife and their habitats downstream.
Covering 50 000 square km, the Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa, according to UNESCO. It is known for its elephants, black rhinos and giraffes, among many other species.
The World Wildlife Fund conservation group said in a report in July last year the proposed large-scale hydropower dam "puts protected areas of global importance, as well as the livelihoods of over 200 000 people who depend upon the environment, at risk". – Nampa/Reuters
Millions invested in gold mining in W.Africa
Mining companies have invested at least US$5 billion towards gold exploration in West Africa in the last decade but significant reserves are under-exploited, mineral industry experts said on Tuesday.
Delegates at the Ecomof mining and petroleum forum in the Ivory Coast commercial capital Abidjan were told that more must be done to attract international investors to develop mining potential.
Ivory Coast and Ghana are among the world's top cocoa producers but are now seeking to diversify their economies by mining precious metals and newly discovered reserves of oil.
Gold is currently attracting the most investment, according to figures shared at the forum, with West Africa now the world's fourth-largest gold region. Ghana is Africa's second largest gold producer after South Africa.
Between 2006 and 2019, new gold deposits of 79 million ounces were discovered in West Africa - the highest in the world. A third was located in Burkina Faso, followed by Ghana, Mali and Ivory Coast, the forum was told. – Nampa/AFP
Tanzania will sign a deal this week for the construction of a US$3 billion hydroelectric power plant, president John Magufuli said in remarks broadcast on state television.
Egypt's El Sewedy Electric company will be involved in building the plant, Tanzania's energy minister said yesterday.
The 2 100 MW project would more than double the country's power generation capacity. But the project's location is in a World Heritage site and has faced opposition from conservationists. They have said the construction of a dam on a major river that runs through the Selous Game Reserve could affect wildlife and their habitats downstream.
Covering 50 000 square km, the Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa, according to UNESCO. It is known for its elephants, black rhinos and giraffes, among many other species.
The World Wildlife Fund conservation group said in a report in July last year the proposed large-scale hydropower dam "puts protected areas of global importance, as well as the livelihoods of over 200 000 people who depend upon the environment, at risk". – Nampa/Reuters
Millions invested in gold mining in W.Africa
Mining companies have invested at least US$5 billion towards gold exploration in West Africa in the last decade but significant reserves are under-exploited, mineral industry experts said on Tuesday.
Delegates at the Ecomof mining and petroleum forum in the Ivory Coast commercial capital Abidjan were told that more must be done to attract international investors to develop mining potential.
Ivory Coast and Ghana are among the world's top cocoa producers but are now seeking to diversify their economies by mining precious metals and newly discovered reserves of oil.
Gold is currently attracting the most investment, according to figures shared at the forum, with West Africa now the world's fourth-largest gold region. Ghana is Africa's second largest gold producer after South Africa.
Between 2006 and 2019, new gold deposits of 79 million ounces were discovered in West Africa - the highest in the world. A third was located in Burkina Faso, followed by Ghana, Mali and Ivory Coast, the forum was told. – Nampa/AFP
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