Vital to the economic growth of countries in Africa is the continued development of the infrastructure, both within and across borders. Funds are increasingly being made available by the European Union (EU), the USA and various non-government organizations (NGOs) to provide reliable and continuous access to basic services such as transport, water and electricity.
The developed world has a vested interest in upgrading roads, telecommunications, rail links and access to power and water. Poor infrastructure is reducing productivity by up to 40% in some countries reports the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA) “Africa’s transport costs, local, national and international, are around twice as high as those for a typical Asian country” states their 2011 study. It is clear that major improvements are needed to promote economic development.
Construction managers and other professionals are desperately needed to fulfill roles in the projects being rolled out in the Africa Region. Jobs are available at all levels in the private construction sector in global companies. Many projects are funded by NGOs which provide guarantees of a sustained level of job security, pay and benefits. Multi-million dollar projects are managed by the EU, UNICEF, World Vision, World Bank and OXFAM amongst others.
Some examples of latest projects that require urgent staffing are:
30 million EU Euros provided Algeria’s water requirements
The project will finance the development of a national digital network for water management and provide funds for a national training center for water treatment. Algeria will also contribute to this project which includes the acquisition of the latest laboratory equipment.
Bujagali Hydro-power project
The Bujagali project in Uganda aims to provide least-cost power generation capacity that will eliminate power shortages. The project will result in a 250 Megawatt hydropower facility on the Victoria Nile and will address both medium and long-term needs.
The Central African Economic and Monetary Community Trade Corridor Project
The goal of this CEMAC project is to facilitate efficient regional trade and reduce transport costs among CEMAC member states and improve access to world markets. More than 35 million people live in the six CEMAC member states. These Central African states are among the richest in Africa in terms of mineral resources.
Nigeria’s investment in ICT connectivity
Nigeria is investing more than US$450 million a year into its ICT infrastructure to improve performance mainly through expanding bandwidth and on-line access.
Construction managers and engineers with language capabilities in French and Portuguese are particularly sought after and can demand a premium in the market. Opportunities are available in Angolaand Mozambique and in Central and West Africa. In Nigeria and in East Africa the shortage of water and environmental engineers is evident. Many projects require experience in managing water reticulation and piping projects whilst adhering to the latest environmental regulations.
On current trends, Africa will not meet the Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation. Construction professionals are also urgently needed to build schools, roads and railways to contribute to Africa’s growth and improve trade links. Only one in four Africans has access to electricity at present so there is a lot of work to do.
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