On a more positive note

Enough with the negativity already. Sure it's easy to run down everything, but what kind of life is that? I bring you my list of recent positive developments from Africa.

1. The West African Gas Pipeline (WAGP) is fuly operational. Gas collected in Nigeria is flowing along the coast in a 600+ km pipe coming onshore at Takoradi in Ghana to fuel two major electrical generator plants.
2. The Lekki Concession Company (LCC) has met their target of road completion east from Victoria Island as far as the new toll gates at the Palms shopping mall. Although a couple months late, originally promised from December last year, this represents a major milestone in the essential infrastructure project.
   
3. The two week project to resurface the tennis court was completed with beautiful results while I was away. See previous post.
   
4. Construction has kicked off in a big way at the Lekki Free Trade zone. The port is being dredged out, the land for the airport cleared and warehouses under construction. Even the golf course has been laid out is under construction. And don't forget the world's largest methanol plant too.
   

APRIL FOOL! My take on what's really going on for each of these items.

1. Not. The Nigerians are having a hard time with the idea that another country will get dependable electricity from their gas while their own country remains mostly in the dark. Or as one of the engineers said to me regarding when gas will actually flow: "When hell freezes over".
2. Not. There are large piles of sand and rock where the road will be but that's not really a road now is it? The toll plaza consists of a couple concrete columns standing amongst the piles and the dates keep changing. And now that it's public knowledge that tolls will be charged some people are not too sure about the whole project.
   
3. Not. Today the workers are scrapping off the paint that had bubbled up. Three guys with putty knives. With the rains starting up again I wonder if they will be able to get a long enough dry spell to finish this off.
4. Not. There have been a lot of trees knocked down but there are some problems. For example, there is no natural harbour that can be made into a port. And a new airport? If the new runway construction at the existing airport is anything to go by it will be years if ever. There are a couple large warehouse buildings there, last time I went by, looking pretty silly sitting out there in the bush with nothing else around. And a methanol plant? In a country awash with oil and gas?