Horn of Africa Digest interview with Lawrence Freeman and African Renaissance Television Services (ARTS) on August 28, 2025
September 8, 2025
One the eve of the official inauguration of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, learn everything you need to know about the GERD, geopolitically, culturally, historically, and economically, by watching this informative discussion by Ethiopian experts and myself.
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for 35 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, consultant on Africa, and an analyst of global strategic relations. Mr. Freeman strongly believes that economic development is an essential human right. He is the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com, also publishes on: lawrencefreeman.substack.com, “Freeman’s Africa and the World, and on X@lkfreemansafrica
— Saba Shiferaw 🇪🇹(Abiy Ahmed Ali will lead ) (@Sabi92409431) January 6, 2025
Addis Ababa January 3, 2025, interview by Ethiopian News Agencywith Lawrence Freeman
Ethiopia can spearhead regional economic integration in East Africa by leveraging its growing economy and focusing on poverty reduction, the American political and economic analyst Laurence Freeman told ENA.
With about 120 million people, Ethiopia has the potential to use its economic growth to spread integration to the rest of the region and raise the standard of living in neighboring countries, he added.
In this regard, the progress Ethiopia and Somalia made recently should be elevated to a higher level of regional economic integration to improve the lives of the people in these countries and the region, Freeman stated.
Following the Ankara agreement, the two East African nations have been improving their partnership through discussion between high level officials of the countries and exchange of visits.
According to the analyst, the developments in Ethio-Somalia relations, including high-level meetings and diplomatic exchanges, have significantly reduced the risk of conflict, which some external actors had been actively trying to instigate.
“The progress that has been made over the last few months is very important. I think it has to be developed even further. For most of 2024, there were many political actors and countries involved in trying to instigate a military conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia.”
Fortunately, the leaders of the two countries agreed to resolve the misunderstanding peacefully and the Ankara agreement was realized.
“So I’m hopeful that all these latest developments will put to rest the idea that the two neighboring nations should go to war. I think for the moment, the forces of peace have the upper hand.”
The American analyst noted that Ethiopia has been providing security in Somalia for many years both as part of the African Union force and in the other way to support the fight against Al Shabab.
As “Ethiopians are very well organized army, Somalia has relied on the Ethiopian military forces against the fight of violent extremism. This process should continue and now there are efforts that are being discussed.
But prior to the recent agreements between the leaders of Somalia and Ethiopia there were people calling for the removal of Ethiopia troops from the AU force. This would have been a mistake,” he revealed.
Freeman further stressed the need to prioritize economic integration across the region, encompassing Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and other East African nations.
“Now we have to move to a higher level, and that level means we have to achieve economic integration in the entire region. And this means that these nations should be working together to promote economic growth. The most important issue is raising the standard of living of people living in poverty in these regions.”
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for 35 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. Mr. Freeman strongly believes that economic development is an essential human right. He is the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com, and also publishing on: lawrencefreeman.substack.com, “Freeman’s Africa and the World
China is hosting the 9th Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing on September 4th through September 6th. FOCAC conferences have occurred every three years since the year 2000 bringing together leaders and representatives from the African continent with their Chinese counterparts. These discussions cover all aspects of economic, political, and social relations between China and the African nations. There is no doubt, despite all the naysayers and propaganda attacks against China alleging an ulterior motive, this is a true friendship, an important feature of China’s foreign policy. China has outflanked the Western governed “rules-based international order,” creating a bond between the two giant populated regions of the world. FOCAC is unique. There is no such comparable forum between African nations and the United States or Europe.
Geopolitical Limitations
The West, led by the United States, has continually attacked China with false claims, trying to create a wedge between China and Africa. They have accused China of being the new colonial power in Africa, which is completely false. They have accused China of “debt-trap” diplomacy, which has been proven erroneous again, and again. There has not been a single project in Africa taken over by China, or any assets seized by China, because of the inability of African nations to pay their loans. Despite all these attempts to malign China, the China-Africa relationship has substantially grown in this century. China eclipsed the United States in trade with Africa in 2009. China-Africa trade has zoomed up to approximately $282 billion, while United States trade with Africa has shrunk to less than $50 billion.
From the combination of FOCAC, and the creation in 2013 of the Belt and Road, China has contributed to massive infrastructure expansion across the continent. In summary, this includes installation of over 25 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity, constructing and upgrading over 10,000 kilometers (kms) of railways; 100,000 kms of highways; over 60,000 kms of submarine cables; almost 1,000 bridges; 100 ports; and over 100 health facilities and schools.
Such vital categories of hard and soft infrastructure were never built by the “rules-based order” in the half century in which the West dominated trade with Africa.
China-Africa Partner for Growth
The 9th FOCAC is the first summit following the disruptions caused by Covid-19. The theme of this conference is Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future. This theme is not new. China and Africa have a history of cooperation, which continues to develop.
Soon after the 8th FOCAC in Dakar, Senegal in 2021, China released an outline of future China-Africa cooperation, China Africa Vision 2035. In this policy paper, China outlines the key categories of cooperation for the development of the African continent. They include expansion of infrastructure, and growth in the manufacturing sector in order to achieve poverty reduction of poverty. See excerpts below.
Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa-PIDA’s Energy Impact” from the African Union’s vision statement, . (courtesy of limn.net)
2.3Advancing integrated cooperation. China actively participates in the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). China-Africa infrastructure cooperation is upgraded as China supports the development of African railway, highway, shipping, port, airline and communications network based on multiple cooperation models. The two sides establish diversified arrangements for trade and investment facilitation to elevate China-Africa cooperation on trade and investment facilitation to a new level.
3.2 Expanding production capacity cooperation. China will help Africa develop “Made in Africa” brands and integrate into global industrial and supply chains by assisting Africa to develop its manufacturing sector. China supports Africa in building and improving technical standard system for quality infrastructure. China will share experience with Africa to help Africa upgrade and enhance the competitiveness of its manufacturing sector, invigorate the private sector, and create more jobs in the private sector.
5.2Notable achievements in poverty reduction cooperation. China and Africa continue to share experience in job creation and poverty reduction in various ways. China supports Africa in enhancing poverty reduction capacity, improving education, water and power supply and other public utilities, advancing urbanization, and achieving inclusive growth. With solid progress, the humanitarian exchange serves as a humanitarian bridge between China and Africa.
Achieving Economic Growth
For those of us who comprehend the true history of modern economic development, it is beyond dispute that infrastructure, especially electricity, and manufacturing are essential to achieve measurable physical economic growth. I have made the case repeatedly that without electricity (infrastructure), no nation is capable of economic growth. Read: Africans Fight Back Against Green Energy Poverty Policy of the West.
There has been much justified insistence that African nations should no longer allow their resources, especially critical minerals, to be simply extracted with little or no benefit to their economy. Now, nations are determined to create additional wealth through processing and manufacturing of their own resources into valuable finished products. However, this is impossible without abundant and accessible energy!
Without manufacturing capability, a nation will always be enslaved to those who produce and sell finished goods at their controlled prices. Essential categories of hard and soft infrastructure provide a platform for an economy to grow. A manufacturing sector produces the necessary physical wealth to maintain an expanding society and increases the productivity of the agricultural sector as well. The lack of these crucial elements has prevented African nations from developing modern industrial economies. China understands these rudimentary economic concepts from its own experience and has provided important contributions to many African nations to assist in their development. Investment in these economic categories is still insufficient, but no other nation, including the entire advanced sector has matched China’s involvement.
China’s vision for Africa in 2035 is coherent with their own plans for their economic future. The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted plans to achieve a modern-prosperous socialist economy by 2035. Read: China’s Reform to Advance Modernization
Western nations should be emulating China’s commitment to prosperity and eliminating poverty, not maligning it. There has been much chatter by African specialists, in recent days, predicting a reduction of China investment, leading into this week’s FOCAC Heads of State Summit. They claim that China will no longer be loaning money for big projects, and that the shine has come off the Belt and Road, due to the slowdown of the Chinese economy. China is accused of overloading African nations with unpayable debt, even though China is a minority holder of African debt. The International Monetary Fund reports that China has just six percent of sovereign debt of African nations and only seventeen percent of their external debt.
Acting On The Future
It is projected that Africa’s population will be near 2.5 billion people in a mere twenty-five or so years. By then Africa will have approximately one quarter of the planet’s population, the largest labor force, and over a billion young people, according to current projections. Consequently, the African continent will become the focal point for trade and commerce throughout the world, creating a new strategic reality.
For those of us who proceed from a knowledge of the future, know, that designing policy to eliminate poverty and hunger across Africa is of the upmost strategic importance. For this reason, an important agenda item for FOCAC would be, to assess the total infrastructure needs of the African continent as an interconnected whole. And from that analysis, identify those crucial infrastructure projects that would have the most immediate effect on advancing the current mode of economic production. Infrastructure affects all aspects of production of consumer and capital goods. More advanced infrastructure platforms introduce new technologies into an economy, resulting in an increase in productivity. China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated last week that infrastructure development is a priority in its relationship with Africa.
Through massive investments in infrastructure, China has transformed its economy. It has more than doubled average life expectancy from 33 years in 1960 to 78 years in 2021, on par with the U.S. During recent decades, China has lifted almost three-quarters of a billion of its people out of poverty. Yet, economic misery in Africa continues to increase, with approximately half a billion Africans suffering from abject poverty today. While this demographic achievement of China’s successful infrastructure driven economic growth, is deliberately ignored by the arrogant “rules-based order” it is nonetheless a modern economic miracle. A knowable miracle that can be applied for the development of African nations
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for 35 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. Mr. Freeman strongly believes that economic development is an essential human right. He is the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com, and also publishing on: lawrencefreeman.substack.com, “Freeman’s Africa and the World.”
Watch Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni’s at the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) summit, April 29 in Nairobi, Kenya
May 22, 2024
African leaders are displaying signs of resistance to simply taking orders from the Western controlled international financial system and their so called rules-based order. Their opposition to the diktats from the political-financial oligarchy has been demonstrated on two crucial fronts: energy and manufacturing.
Increasingly, African leaders are resisting demands from “developed” nations, whose populations have already 100% access to electricity, that less developed nations can only use so called renewables. The “advanced sector” threatens nations whose populations are literally dying from the lack of electricity, that they will not receive funds for investment in fossil fuel production. In other words, they insist African nations endowed with vast hydrocarbon natural resources should be prevented from utilizing these resources to produce electricity, which is necessary to improve the lives of their people. Under the cover of their duplicitous concern for the environment, the West is willing to have millions of Africans die with their deceitful cries to “save the planet.“ The two-faced nature of the rules-based order and their financial intuitions is demonstrated by their lack of support for major hydro-power projects in Africa. The United States and Europe have not supported the Grand Renaissance Dam (Ethiopia-5,150 MW), the Grand Inga (Democratic Republic of the Congo-40-50,000 MW), of the multination water project, Transaqua.
South African Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe
Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, Tanzanian President, and Samia Suluhu Hassan, speaking at the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) summit (April 29th, Nairobi, Kenya) spoke for the necessity to fund manufacturing and infrastructure in Africa. (See below) It is imperative to end the Wests’ singular focus on extractive industries to loot Africa’s valuable resources. Numerous African leaders are correctly demanding that none of their critical minerals should leave their nations in its raw form. Instead, they insist these minerals must be transformed into products for trade and consumption by a growing indigenous manufacturing sector.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Grace Naledi Pandor
Edited excerpts below from the address by Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, to the International Development Association (IDA) summit April 29 in Nairobi, Kenya.
Borrowing for what? capacity building. Imagine! Seminars, they call you in a hotel, you eat chapati, mandazi, they say that is capacity building…it should be on the ground not just in seminars. So, if you are serious, I need to hear about the low cost funding for manufacturing, not for stories…for manufacturing,” he remarked.
The crisis Africa is in today is because of philosophical, ideological, strategic economic mistakes, which we have been talking about since the 1960s.
Our populations are increasing, but our economies are stunted. The IDA should tell us why they are funding the modern slavery of Africans, and we should address issues like why Africa is producing what it does not consume and consuming what it does not produce. ,The crisis Africa is in today is because of philosophical, ideological, strategic economic mistakes, which we have been talking about since the 1960s.
I was very happy the president of the World Bank talking about prosperity instead of profiteering, his own words. The problem has been the World Bank people and other groups talking of sustainable development. I have seen that those words sustainable development.
I’m not going to be 80 years old I’ve never seen sustainable pregnancy that the woman is pregnant this year the pregnancy continues the next year three years four years. It never happens in life pregnancy develops sustainably. The baby is growing bigger and bigger but at some stage one static growth must be transformed into qualitative change, the pregnancy must become a baby. I would even ask you to change those words in your documents. Africa does not need sustainable; you could call the sustainable under development. Africa needed this social economic transformation. The pregnancy must become a baby, the baby must grow and grow, and become a teenager. The teenager must grow. That is what happens in life. You cannot have quantitative growth and think you are doing anything.
So, if you are serious, I need to hear about the low- cost funding for manufacturing, not for stories … for manufacturing. The main reason why there is no growth is because the growth factors are not funded, they are not even under understood; those who want to help Africa should fund our transport systems, electricity, raw material processing, and import substitution.
Our populations are increasing, but our economies are stunted. The IDA should tell us why they are funding the modern slavery of Africans, and we should address issues like why Africa is producing what it does not consume and consuming what it does not produce.
I banned the export of minerals from Uganda. No export of minerals from Uganda if it is not processed here. You wait until I go away you can steal the minerals but not now. I ban this export of unprocessed minerals. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni
Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan in Muscat, Oman on June 14, 2022. (courtesy of theeastafrican.co.ke)
Museveni was seconded by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has fought for infrastructure development in her own nation. She said:
Considering the challenges related to present projected debt levels, we strongly believe that IDA should focus more on providing concessional loans such as 50-year credit loans. These facilities will provide more fiscal space for African countries to address competing development needs. (Emphasis added)
She is correct in identifying the need for long-term ,low interest loans to maximize investment in infrastructure and manufacturing.Infrastructure Progress in Tanzania
Watch Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni’s 30 minute speech at the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) summit, April 29 in Nairobi, Kenya
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for 35 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. Mr. Freeman strongly believes that economic development is an essential human right. He is the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com, and also publishing on: lawrencefreeman.substack.com, “Freeman’s Africa and the World.”
Discussion between Lawrence Freeman and Rasheed Muhammad on October 2, 2023
October 14, 2023
Watch my one hour dialogue above for a no-holds barred provocative conversation. We discussed the underlying causes for the social-political-moral-economic collapse of the ”rules-based order,” which is threatening the world today.
Western leaders are incompetent, to be diplomatic, and dangerous to be frank. The essence of their geopolitical ideology that drives U.S. and Western policy, is the false view that our planet and we human beings are unchanging. This leads the foolish followers of this perverted ideology to view political relations between nations in terms of winners and losers in a “zero-sum” mentality.
However, as we discuss in the interview above, at the inner core of this belief structure is a Malthusian conviction that there are too many people in the world. Thus, population reduction, eliminating human beings, is at the root of their creed. Their anti-economic growth policy towards the developing sector, now referred to as the Global South, is an extension of their racist and imperialist view, that people of color should be eliminated first. Under the (popular) deception of protecting our planet, this arrogant Caucasian pollical-financial elite, demands that the Global South not be allowed to develop their own abundant natural resources to produce electricity. The absence of electrical power, and other categories of vital infrastructure on the African continent, kills Africans every day. This absolute refusal to allow, and assist nations to develop their economies, nakedly exposes their view, that the “lower class” of poor people living in less developed nations are expendable.
The Western dominated “rules based order” refuses to understand that economic development is the most fundamental human right. Rather, they are predisposed to “regime-change” against any leader who resists their diktats. Tragically, the U.S. has lost the vision of developing Africa since the death of President John Kennedy. All honest and informed Africa experts know there is no meaningful US-Africa policy, except to counter China. Despite many visits by Biden administration officials to Africa, there is no concrete commitment to real economic development.
Another important portion of our discussion centered on education. The failure of U.S. elected officials, from both parties, to sound the alarm about the crisis of public education in the U.S., should be considered an impeachable offense. Children should be taught how to read from first to third grade, and from fourth grade on, they read to learn. The majority of children in the U.S. have not mastered basic reading skills by the time they enter fourth grade. This is the equivalent of a five-alarm fire and no leader in the U.S. has pulled the handle in the fire alarm box. U.S. failure to adequately address the education of our youth, forbodes ill for the U.S. twenty years from now, when these children are grown-up, and expected to lead our country. And yet, local, and federal governments consistently ignore the glaring needs of teachers and their students.
The important subject of our dialogue that bears directly on a nation’s political-economic future goes beyond the common notion of education. Creativity, the potential of creative mentation, which is innate in every child, is the antidote to the warped geopolitical “zero-sum game” mind-set. Human beings, uniquely endowed with the power to hypothesize and discover the principles (not rules) that govern our physical universe, and create the conditions for the development of our planet. Nothing is fixed or static, potential growth is omnipresent. There is no “zero-sum.” With the intervention of humankind, our universe develops and expands. All nations have the same common shared goals for their citizens: satisfying their material needs and nurturing their creative imagination. Once this distinctive quality of human beings is understood, the entire edifice supporting the dogmas of Malthusianism and the “rules based order” crumbles.
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for over 30 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. Mr. Freeman strongly believes that economic development is an essential human right. He is also the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com
Dr. Ergogie, Minister of Women and Social Affairs, standing fourth from right, in front of the conference hall.
June 8, 2023
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA) organized a two day conference, May 23-24, held in the Nelson Mandela Plenary Hall, at the African Union Commission, Addis Ababa. The theme of the deliberations was, Social Protection for Nation Building in Ethiopia. As part of Ethiopia’s effort to reduce poverty, and expand economic growth, additional social protection programs are necessary to provide for the vulnerable portions of the population.
The several hundred attendees were welcomed by H.E. Dr. Ergogie Tesfaye, the highly qualified Minister of MoWSA. The conference was key noted by H.E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The conference concluded with a Call Of Action with five central objectives, of which I highlight the first, the third and the fifth.
1. Policy Framework and coordination
1.1 Revise the social protection policy and strategy to ensure alignment with the national Ten Years Development Plan, relevance for meeting the current needs of the most vulnerable, and ambition to progressively build a universal social protection system.
1.2 Establish a Social Protection Council to guide, coordinate and oversee the implementation of the social protection policy, strategy, and programming.
3. Coverage and inclusion
3.1 Progressively expand coverage of social protection, ensuring the inclusion and protection of those most in need, including informal workers, people with disabilities, internally displaced people, and refugees.
3.2 Enhance nutrition, protection, and gender sensitivity within social protection programming, and ensure greater access to social services, including community-based health insurance.
5. Jobs and economic inclusion
5.1 Ensure a more inclusive economy and labor market, by increasing access to decent jobs, incomes, and entrepreneurship opportunities for volunteer groups.
5.2 Adopt a government led harmonized framework for the delivery and design of economic inclusion/self-employment/graduation programs for better impact at scale.
Below is an edited version of my remarks, delivered in the afternoon plenary session on May 23, 2023.
Lawrence Freeman addressing the conference on May 23, in the Nelson Mandela Plenary Hall, African Union Commission
“Human Creativity is the Source of Wealth and Why Social Protection is Necessary”
I am honored to be here today.
The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, under the leadership of Dr. Ergogie, is addressing a critically important topic. As a physical economist, I will add my unique view of the issue that is being discussed in this two day conference.
Why is it important to care, protect, and develop each citizen of the nation, especially the youth? It is more than just a moral and cultural imperative: it is essential for economic growth. And economic growth is fundamental to the peace, prosperity, and stability of a nation. Poverty and hunger are the enemies of peace and democracy.
Contrary to what you may have heard; free trade, supply and demand, the invisible hand of the marketplace, are not the cause of economic growth. The source of all wealth is the individual, more precisely the human mind. The mind is the creator of wealth, through its power to discover new scientific principles embedded in the universe.
Only human beings-every human-is born with the innate potential of creativity. It is from that power of the human mind that new technologies and inventions are introduced into the economic process. Through the introduction of more advanced technologies, we increase the productive powers of labor to produce more wealth with equal or less effort.
Thus, the elected government is responsible, nay obligated, to protect and care for all of its citizens. Governments must provide for the material necessities of life AND nurture the creative power of the individual. Government must make an extra effort to provide for those most in need, especially our children, because these creative minds must be developed to become productive members of our society and economy. They are the future.
The most vulnerable are no less precious as potential contributors to the production of wealth for their nation. Therefore, it is not an option, but a necessity to care and develop each child, and each citizen.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt understood that every member of society is important, and he initiated innovative programs to provide care for people of the U.S. “from the cradle to the grave.” The cornerstone of this became the Social Security system of the United States.
Economic growth is indispensable to build a nation. This requires the contribution from all of its citizens. I recognize that economic development is a human right. Unfortunately, the United Nations does not. However, the African Union does recognize “social protection and an adequate standard of living” is a human right. Also, the African Charter, article 22, stipulates that economic development, is in fact, a human right.
Lawrence Freeman, giving Dr. Egogie, a new book on the Grand Ethiopian Renassiance Dam, “How It Happened” by Dr. Dereje Tessema,
From my standpoint, not only is economic development a human right, but electricity is a human right, because without power, economies cannot prosper, and the people of that society will have a diminished standard of living. There will be no growth, no progress for society, without electricity, and without vital infrastructure.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam-GERD, which I visited in December of 2022, will produce 5,150 megawatts of power when completed. The functioning of the GERD will advance the nation, improve the lives of the citizens of Ethiopia, and will help drive economic development in the East Africa region. The GERD will contribute to peace and stability throughout the Horn of Africa and the Nile Basin.
Now let me return to where I started in my presentation. The GERD is a creative act of humankind, a human intervention into the physical environment (physical universe) to capture-create the power of electricity from a river that has been flowing for five million years. Thus, as I emphasized at the beginning of my remarks, the construction of the GERD proves that human creativity is the source of wealth for society.
Thank you very much.
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for over 30 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. He is also the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com. Mr. Freeman’s stated personal mission is; to eliminate poverty and hunger in Africa by applying the scientific economic principles of Alexander Hamilton
The spaceport, expected to include seven satellite launch pads and three rocket testing pads, will be the first orbital spaceport on the continent.
Africa is entering a very exciting period in which it is asserting its scientific and engineering capabilities. Humankind’s exploration of space is the highest form of human discovery of the universe, and introduces into society new advanced technologies. With the completion of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam in 2025, a scientific-engineering marvel, and the creation of Djibouti’s spaceport in five years, Africa is demonstrating its leadership for the 21st century, and creating the scientific foundation for economic growth.This is true sceintific-econimic progress for the nations of Africa, whcih should make all poeple, of all nations happy.
Janary 23, 2023, Quartz Africa Weekly
Excerpts follow:
Africa could soon get a new spaceport after Djibouti signed a partnership deal with Hong Kong Aerospace Technology to build a facility to launch satellites and rockets in the northern Obock region.
According to the preliminary deal, the Djibouti government will “provide the necessary land (minimum 10 sq km and with a term of not less than 35 years) and all the necessary assistance to build and operate the Djiboutian Spaceport.”
The $1 billion spaceport project will also involve the construction of a port facility, a power grid and a highway to ensure the reliable transportation of aerospace materials.
The deal’s signing was presided over by the president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, and the project is set to be completed in the next five years.
The spaceport is a massive milestone for Africa, making it the first orbital spaceport on African soil.
The Djibouti spaceport project
According to Victor Mwongera, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kenyatta University, the projection will avail a launch base that will serve all Africans.
“It will push eastern Africa off the sleeping state as far as active development of space-based innovations are concerned,” he explained.
Trial and small-scale launches have been executed in Africa in the past, including the Italian-operated Broglio Space Centre (San Marco) in Malindi, Kenya and Algeria’s Reggane.
Mwongera sees the expansion of Africa’s space industry—with a number of African countries already building and operating their own microsatellites—as a growing trend.
“It has taken time but we needed time as a continent to be ready for this age. Now that we are ready, you are seeing the number is increasing and it is bound to increase further,” he said.
Africa’s space industry is a billion dollar sector
According to the 2022 annual sector report of research firm Space in Africa, the value of the African space and satellite industry has risen to more than $19.6 billion.
The charge is fuelled by 14 countries that have launched 52 satellites into space.
South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, and Nigeria have the highest number of satellites in space as of 2022, each having launched more than five satellites.
Mwongera explained that east African countries are well positioned to harbor more spaceports, due to their proximity to the equator.
“At the equator… there is minimal energy required,” he said.
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for over 30 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. He is also the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com. Mr. Freeman’s stated personal mission is; to eliminate poverty and hunger in Africa by applying the scientific economic principles of Alexander Hamilton
The only nuclear power plant on the African continent, is in Koeberg, South Africa
“Nuclear Energy gives you the benefit of industrialization, and beneficiation within the [African] economy, translating to a higher and inclusive growth path and job creation.”
This is the edited transcript of the presentation of Gaopalelwe Santswere to Panel 2, “Physical Economy: Developing the Nӧosphere,” of the Schiller Institute’s Nov. 12, 2022 Conference, “The Physical Economy of the Noӧsphere: Reviving the Heritage of Vladimir Vernadsky.” Mr. Santswere is a nuclear physicist and senior scientist at the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation. He is the President of the African Young Generation in Nuclear (AYGN). (EIR magazine. Nov 25, 2022)
Africa’s Need for Nuclear Power and Nuclear Medicine
Gaopalelwe Santswere (Courtesy of EIR magazine)
Gaopalelwe Santswere: Thank you very much for the opportunity to be part of the speakers today on a very important topic of the growing youth movement for nuclear power and nuclear medicine in Africa. We’ve seen that Africa has adopted what is called the Agenda 2063. One of the ancestors of Agenda 2063 is the need for integration, as one of the key foundations for assuring Africa achieve its goals for inclusive and sustainable growth and development. There we have seen that within the African Agenda 2063, there are about seven aspirations. Just to give you one of the most fundamental ones, which is Aspiration 2 of this Agenda 2063, placing import on the need for Africa to develop world-class infrastructure that criss-crosses Africa and which would improve connectivity through newer and bolder initiatives to link the continent by rail, road, sea, air, and develop regional and continental power pools, as well as ICT [Information and Communication Technology].
So there’s a need for us, if you look at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, to assure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
Now, if you take a look at Africa, we’ve got about 620 million Africans who are sitting without power. So out of 1.2 billion, you can see that almost half of Africans don’t have access to electricity. Therefore, Africa has not the opportunity to industrialize to have a future in the continent which would create sustainable jobs, to improve the conditions of the Africans in order to ensure that they can move forward.
There has been quite a robust debate within the continent as to what sort of technology should the continent adopt in order to ensure that we can move forward, and also develop the continent for the sustainability of most of the continent’s population, which are young people. So, when we look at the types of energy sources that we have, we know that there is some potential hydro in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which can potentially give us 40,000 MW of electricity. But we know what is the problem there: The geopolitical instability, regional instability that has caused the delay of this project seeing its life.
So we have seen, recently also, in the topic of hydro, Ethiopia has just launched or commissioned a hydropower plant that is supplying most of the East African countries there. But it also was not completed without political tension with Egypt and Sudan, because they’re saying that as it continues to fill up, it could potentially dry up some of the [downstream areas in Sudan and Egypt] and also affect the income.
Now we have seen the potential contention between the use of coal or hydrocarbons within the world: The world is saying that we need to move away from hydrocarbons and move to more clean energy that will sustain the world moving forward. But that being said, we’re seeing that world has not been achievable because of what we have seen in terms of the energy crisis in Europe and so forth.
So for Africa to develop, one of the energy sources that we foresee potentially could develop Africa is the use of nuclear power. We know that in Africa we’ve got two units at Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant in South Africa, that are continuously supporting South African electricity to almost 2,000 MW. But it’s the only two power reactors that are currently existing in the continent.
We have seen a number of countries expressing interest within the African continent, countries like Kenya, countries like Nigeria, countries like Ghana and so forth, who want to introduce nuclear power, due to the demand or energy poverty that their populations are subjected to. We have seen recently that Egypt has started construction on 4,800 MW of new nuclear power plants in the continent. This is very much welcome, because we have seen that now nuclear is starting to expand within the continent, and this will bring much relief in terms of the energy poverty that the continent has been experiencing for decades. We know that Africa is mostly referred to as “the darkest continent” because of lack of access to electricity.
So, one of the things that we need to do, in Africa in terms of energy, is to have a strategic plan that will ensure its society or citizens’ wellness within the continent; energy security which takes consideration of the environment; and competitiveness, including affordability and funding, in order to ensure that we have got economic growth and transformation, job creation, and equitable share in fulfillment of the African objective.
Now, when we look at a nuclear power plant, it is one of the most affordable [sources of] electricity. We can take cognizance that when you look at the power generation in South Africa in terms of the cost per kilowatt, nuclear is very, very low compared to other energy sources. Most of the developed countries in the world, they exist because the economy is based also on the development of nuclear power, so therefore, Africa must take some of the lessons from the world to ensure that they also can emphasize energy security, they also improve the lives of their citizens, by developing the nuclear power plan.
So, one fact is that we have over the years developed what we call the African Young Generation in Nuclear, which has enabled the young generations within the continent to emphasize why there is a need for us to go nuclear. We have emphasized that the bottom aspect of this is because Africa has to develop its own capacity and ensure that it addresses the socioeconomic issues of the continent through the promotion of nuclear power technology in Africa.
So, we need to do this. We have been doing it by degrees, to define, first, nuclear technology and educating the public about the benefits of nuclear for the public. We have facilitated the student government platforms and knowledge transfer platforms between the current generation of leading nuclear experts and the young generation about the nuclear profession.
What we are doing is, we have offered the platform to share, exchange ideas, and network on issues related to nuclear science and technology. Because what we have seen is that once we have addressed the energy issues, we have addressed a lot of things. And we strongly believe that nuclear has the capacity to address what Africa is lacking currently. And just to mention a few: We’ve seen that when you develop nuclear, you develop an economy in terms of energy security and by socioeconomic development. We align with national goals in terms of national development plans for energy transfer, and diversifying the African continent’s energy mix, which opens up an array of opportunities within the energy sector. It gives you the benefit of industrialization, and beneficiation within the [African] economy, translating to a higher and inclusive growth path and job creation. Of course, this will increase the pace of inclusive growth, which will face the biggest challenges on the continent.
Also bearing in mind, for sustainable economic growth we need to develop a technology that can develop and advance the economic wellbeing of the African continent.
So what we need also to recognize is that nuclear technology is not only power related. We can also apply it in different sectors like agriculture, nuclear medicine, and so forth. We know, just from the International Atomic Energy Agency this year there was a scientific forum focusing on the Rays of Hope initiative to ensure there can be access to cancer care. So we strongly believe that the nuclear technology can address that kind of issue.
We know that the continent has been losing quite a lot of money, where the patients are taken out of the continent to get care in the East or in Europe. So therefore, we strongly believe in the development of cancer treatment within the continent through radiotherapy, through access to nuclear medicine. Of course, we understand that cancer is one of the most killing diseases of the continent. So diagnosis and treatment of cancer will ensure that the development of Africa moves forward.
Just to give you an example: For a treatment for cancer, for example prostate cancer, we’ve seen South Africa developing the [radioactive isotope] Lutetium-177 production facility, which we have seen can treat prostate cancer much better.
So with that, I would like to say thank you for the opportunity. Thank you very much, and we look forward to the discussion.
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for over 30 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. He is also the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com. Mr. Freeman’s stated personal mission is; to eliminate poverty and hunger in Africa by applying the scientific economic principles of Alexander Hamilton
Minister Naledi Pandor of South Africa speaking before the UNGA (courtesy of voaafrica.com),
September 27, 2022
In her address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 21, Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation for South Africa, made an invaluable contribution. While many speakers at the assembly discussed important topics, she, along with Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, identified economicdevelopment as the crucial principle that the UNGA has to address. (See excerpts of their remarks below).
Unfortunately, the majority of leaders throughout the world have failed to understand the essentiality of promoting economic development as a strategic solution to war, and insecurity, and the only pathway to achieving lasting peace. Leaders of the West, especially from the U.S. , have failed to grasp this elementary concept elaborated by John Paul VI, when he wrote, development is the new name for peace. (1)
Unlike the last four generations of U.S. presidents, Franklin Roosevelt, did understand that the policy of promoting economic development is a strategic means of obtaining peace in the world. President Roosevelt organized for the creation of the United Nations (UN) as an integral component of his post war Grand Design, which most emphatically included the dismantling of the British empire. His proposed composition of nations to lead the UN, (U.S. Russia, China, and Great Britain) was an attempt to isolate the British and their imperialist policies. President Roosevelt discussed with his son, his vision for the UN, which was coherent with his intent of the Atlantic Charter and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. To wit: improving conditions of life in underdeveloped nations by fostering economic growth. He said to Elliott,
“These great powers will have to assume the task of bringing education, raising the standards of living, improving health conditions—of all the backward depressed areas of the world.”
Tragically for the world, President Roosevelt died before the inauguration of the UN, and the small minded, easily manipulated, Harry Truman, became U.S. President. In a brief time after assuming office, President Truman, embracing the diseased British geopolitical mindset, negated President Roosevelt’s vision to construct a better world with all nations participating in progress and prosperity. Civilization has paid dearly for the reversal of President Roosevelt’s paradigm.
Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill discussing the Atlantics Charter at the Argentia conference.
Minister Pandor Echoes Roosevelt
In her presentation before the UNGA, Minister Pandor said:
“The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Eastern Europe shape our attitudes today; however, for South Africa, the real inflection point will be the world attending fully to the needs of the marginalized and forgotten.
Our greatest global challenges are poverty, inequality, joblessness and feeling excluded…addressing poverty and underdevelopment will be the beginnings of the real inflection point in human history.
Global solidarity is also required to meet other pressing challenges such as energy and food insecurity, climate change and the devastation caused by conflicts, including the existential threat of nuclear weapons.
Instead of working collectively to address these challenges, we have grown further apart as geopolitical tensions and mistrust permeate our relations.
We should, however, move forward in solidarity, united in efforts to address our common global challenges to ensure sustainable peace and development.” (Emphasis added).
To read full transcript on Minister Pandor’s presentation at the UNGA: Click here.
Eliminate Poverty
In his address before the UNGA on September 24, Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, echoed the theme of peace through development, highlighting the importance of eliminating poverty. He told the assembly,
“We must pursue development and eliminate poverty.
Development holds the key to resolving difficult issues and delivering a happy life to our people. We should place development at the center of the international agenda, build international consensus on promoting development, and uphold all countries’ legitimate right to development. We should foster new drivers for global development, forge a global development partnership, and see that everyone in every country benefits more from the fruits of development in a more equitable way.
China has been a contributor to global development…China is a pacesetter in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It has met the poverty reduction goal ten years ahead of the envisioned timeframe and accounts for 70 percent of the gains in global poverty reduction. It has provided development aid to more than 160 countries in need, and extended more debt-service payments owed by developing countries than any other G20member state.” (Emphasis added).
To read the full transcript of Minister Wang Yi: Click here
(1) Encyclical , Populorium progressio, March 26, 1967.
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for over 30 years. He is a teacher, writer, public speaker, and consultant on Africa. He is also the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com. Mr. Freeman’s stated personal mission is; to eliminate poverty and hunger in Africa by applying the scientific economic principles of Alexander Hamilton
“Seventy-seven percent of young Africans said China was the ‘foreign actor’ with the greatest impact on the continent, while giving the U.S. an influence rating of just 67%. In a follow-up question on whether that influence was positive or negative, 76% said China’s was positive, while 72% said the same of the U.S.
“By contrast, U.S. influence has dropped by 12% since 2020, according to the survey of more than 4,500 Africans 18 to 24 years old and living in 15 countries across Africa.”
One of the primary reasons for their choices is: “Beijing’s investments in infrastructure development on the continent and China’s creation of job opportunities in African countries.” (Emphasis added)
Ivor Ichikowitz said:
“Young Africans are telling us that they are seeing tangible, visible and very impactful signs of the role that China has played in the development of Africa.”
“Albeit that there is significant criticism of Chinese investment in Africa, it’s very difficult for African governments not to value China because China is providing capital, providing expertise, providing markets at a time when Europe and the United States are not.”
The abstract of this paper bluntly states exactly what Western geopolitical ideologies still refuse to accept:
“Africa–China trade leads to mixed results, while Chinese investment and infrastructure construction are found to contribute positively to transformation. Chinese firms are also found to support capacity building, spillovers, and innovation in African countries.”
The authors have identified a central concept. African nations need Economic Transformation (ET), which is not equal to simplistic and false notions of economic growth measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
They correctly explain the difference in their introduction:
“The process of economic transformation (ET), indicating the changes affecting the structure of an economy, is at the core of development. While GDP growth is often used as a metric for development, it simply points to an expansion of a country’s economic size, but it does not guarantee that the economy has become more diversified, resilient to shocks or inclusive. Conversely, ET, indicating a transition from an economy based on traditional agriculture to one where modern sectors take the central place, can deliver job creation, diversification, and inclusive development.
“Today, African countries face an ET gap. While many African economies have grown over the last few decades, their structure has not transformed. In contrast with other regions of the world, where the majority of people are employed in the secondary and tertiary sectors, a large share of Africa’s labor force works in agriculture and related activities, where average productivity is lower.
“When Chinese economic engagement with Africa started intensifying at the turn of the century, it raised hopes for ET. China’s extraordinary growth and poverty reduction performance could be a model for African countries; and with China as a trade, investment and development partner, African economies could hope to follow a similar path. African engagement with China was deemed particularly promising for industrialization on the continent. (Emphasis added)
Regrettably, both for the U.S., and Africa, and the rest of the developing sector, the West no longer believes in economic transformation. The U.S. in particular, is no longer devoted to fostering economic development for itself or other nations, contrary to many outstanding periods of its history. Whatever shortcomings exist in China’s relationship to Africa, China is committed to promoting real economic development i.e., economic transformation on the African continent. Yet Western governments continually attack China and its Belt and Road Initiative for assisting African nations in addressing the most critical deficiency in their economies; the lack of infrastructure and a manufacturing sector.
Many people, including so called economic experts fail to understand that money is not the basis of economic growth. The addition of all the monetary values of an economy’s goods and services measured in GDP, does not determine economic growth. The only proper, scientific measure of economy is not monetary values, but the ability of each particular mode of economic production to provide an increased standard of living to an expanding population. A physical economist like myself understands, that it is those physical inputs that lead to an increase in the performance-output of the productive powers of labor that determines real economic growth. Infrastructure and manufacturing capacity are crucial physical inputs required for economic transformation.
That is what the Chinese are providing for Africa, unlike the West. Could that be why young Africans think more approvingly of China’s policies in Africa than the U.S.?
Lawrence Freeman is a Political-Economic Analyst for Africa, who has been involved in economic development policies for Africa for over 30 years. He is a writer, researcher, and consultant, and the creator of the blog: lawrencefreemanafricaandtheworld.com. Mr. Freeman’s stated personal mission is; to eliminate poverty and hunger in Africa by applying the scientific economic principles of Alexander Hamilton.
