Africa need power paa! About 600 million Africans – dat be half of di continent population – no get light. E be mostly because di power lines no dey reach everywhere. Na Africans dey suffer pass for di whole world when e come to no get light.
But di European Union wan change dis tin. For di end of September, di president of di European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, talk say dem go put €545 million ($636 million) inside to support renewable energy and make sure everywhere for Africa get light.
Some new projects wey EU go fund be like high-voltage power line for Côte d’Ivoire, to carry light go plenty village for Cameroon, to use wind and water create power for Lesotho, and to put small-small power grids for far places for Madagascar. Di aim be say make plenty people get light and make Africa stop dey use fossil fuels.
“If we make Africa dey use clean energy, e go create jobs, bring peace, make di economy grow, and help us achieve our climate goals,” na wetin Von der Leyen talk when she announce am. “Di European Union, with di Global Gateway investment plan, dey ready to support Africa for dia clean energy journey.” EU dey think say dis investment program fit create 38 million green jobs for Africa by 2030.
Global Gateway na European initiative to build infrastructure for di whole world, and dem dey put Africa first. Dem get good heart and wan protect di environment, but di main reason be say dem wan compete with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
China start di Belt and Road Initiative for 2013, and dem don put over $1.3 trillion inside to build roads, ports, power, and phone networks for over hundred countries for di world, from Asia to Africa to Latin America. To build, connect, and control important things for di world na way to show power, and di Belt and Road Initiative don give China power to influence plenty things.