Musings From Abroad

OPEC Sec-Gen, Al Ghais wants fairer climate treatment for Africa

Published

7 months ago

October 17, 2023

The Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al Ghais, Tuesday clamoured for a fair treatment of Africa in the push to address global climate challenges.

Al Ghais stressed that the continent contributed the smallest share of greenhouse gas emissions globally.

“In a world in which Heathrow Airport consumes more energy than Sierra Leone or in which two-thirds of all primary schools in sub-Saharan Africa have no access to electricity, the same environmental yardstick should not be used to compare regions at vastly different stages of development,” Al Ghais said in online remarks.

“Utilising Africa’s natural resources like oil and gas will help deliver energy affordability and alleviate energy poverty,” he said, a position often repeated by the fossil fuel industry to increase oil production on the continent.

Almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to electricity, and nearly 1 billion do not have access to clean cooking energy despite the region’s enormous potential for solar, wind, and hydrogen energy.

Experts on climate change have noted that in African nations with significant fossil fuel deposits, earnings have primarily gone to enrich corrupt political leaders rather than reducing overall or energy poverty. According to them, the corruption that comes with petrodollars frequently results in even worse provision of essential services.

Speaking at an energy conference in Cape Town, the head of OPEC noted that the continent required more assistance and cooperation because oil demand in Africa was predicted to increase by almost 80% between now and 2045.

Just 40% and 57% of the populations in Angola and Nigeria, two of Africa’s top oil producers for decades, had access to electricity in 2021, according to 2022 data from the World Bank.

Despite having the lowest per capita energy use in the world, Africa is home to roughly 13% of the world’s natural gas and 7% of its oil.

Musings From Abroad

China’s Hailiang, Shinzoom to establish vehicle battery installations in Morocco

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Hailiang and Shinzoom, Chinese car battery makers, will establish two separate operations in Morocco as the country strives to adapt its burgeoning automotive sector to rising demand for electric vehicles, Moroccan officials announced on Tuesday.

Tanger Tech, the Moroccan northern industrial zone’s development authority, said Hailiang intends to establish a $450 million copper facility on a 30-hectare plot of land. Shinzoom, a subsidiary of Hunan Zhongke, plans to invest $460 million in an anode plant spanning 20 hectares, according to a statement.

In April, the Moroccan government approved Chinese electric battery company BTR New Material Group (835185.BJE)’s plans to build a factory in Tangier to manufacture crucial component cathodes.

Another Chinese firm, CNGR Advanced Material (300919.SZ), plans to develop a cathode plant in Jorf Lasfar, 100 miles south of Casablanca, where the government has set aside 283 hectares for electric battery sectors.

Last year, the Moroccan government and China’s Gotion agreed to examine establishing an electric vehicle battery plant in the country, with a potential investment of up to $6.3 billion. Last month, Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour told Reuters that the Gotion project was moving forward, with conversations over its footprint and location.

Morocco’s strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and existing automotive sector cluster all attract Chinese enterprises.

In 2023, the automotive sector topped Morocco’s industrial exports with $14 billion, a 27% increase. Morocco is home to Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and Renault (RENA.PA) production factories with an annual combined capacity of 700,000 automobiles, as well as a network of local suppliers.

Musings From Abroad

Prince Harry, Meghan treated to street-style dances in Nigeria as their trip winds down

Published

5 days ago

May 13, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

On Sunday, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were treated to street-style dances in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where they announced a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the non-profit Giants of Africa, which utilizes sports to empower young people.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are making their first visit to Nigeria, where they were welcomed by the country’s chief of defence staff. The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, where Harry participated in ball-bouncing drills and shot a hoop.

“What you guys are doing here at Giants of Africa is truly amazing,” he said. “The power of sport can change lives. It brings people together and creates community and there are no barriers, which is the most important thing.”

The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, and Harry stepped on the court for some ball-bouncing drills and to shoot a hoop.

Former Toronto Raptors star Masai Ujiri, president of Giants of Africa, wished Meghan a happy Mother’s Day and said his organization was uniting communities and uplifting young people through sport, especially. Archewell Foundation and Giants of Africa will construct a basketball court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.

“Talk about full circle again – never did I think we would be able to be here all those years later supporting the expansion of this incredible organization,” she said.
Harry and Meghan were set to round off their Lagos trip by attending a reception for a local charity. The couple live in the United States with their two children after Harry gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020.