Supposedly the energy-extraction could start as early as 5 years from now, but the project as a whole probably won't be finished until 2050.
Why hasn't any Afrikan nation taken the lead in such a project to provide solar energy for the land of the sun, Afrika? Our restoration as a people means we must restore the continent to a state of health and balance. The fact remains that even though Afrika is largely under industrialized, the disruption to its ecosystems outpaces those in highly industrialized nations. Present leadership in no small way must be held accountable for accepting waste — nuclear, chemical, and refuse — from Western governments. The traditional practice of balance that we witnessed with the San, Mbuti, and other Afrikans has been usurped. Progressive thinking Afrikan governments need to limit and even outlaw those offending industries and nations. Also, Afrikan scientists need to develop technologies and logical approaches that can repair damage done during colonial occupation. Afrika’s wildlife as well as other natural resources need protection. As long as the West and East provide markets for the poached goods, illicit acquisition and sale will continue. Take the case of the Afrikan black rhino that has been hunted to near extinction. Understand that these are complex issues and until Afrikan governments, leadership, industry, and agriculture provide sustainable jobs for its people, an underground economy will continue to hamper legitimate development.
Tied to Afrikan conservation are the types of energy we develop for the vision of a unified Afrika. Diop in Black Afrika has outlined the many sources of energy that we can harness without detriment to the planet, or fear of resource depletion. Solar, Wind, Hydroelectric, and the like, have to replace petroleum, coal, and eventually natural gas. Issues of well and system-wide water pollution of aquifers with methane gas and other toxins, not to mention the possibility of earthquakes, threaten municipalities and lurk as ominous side effects due to mining for natural gas in the shale layer of the earth using a very dangerous and corporate-secret process called hydrofracking. Nigerian oil spills of 2009 in the Niger Delta and the British Petroleum devastation of 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico reveal the environmental hazards of petroleum-based energy exploitation. Afrika’s abundance of sunlight demands the development of solar energy. Every Afrikan government should dedicate research and development to this field of endeavor.
The U.S.A. will have to develop solar energy for domestic, industrial and, if need be, military power. As we further industrialize, and our various nations begin to come together toward a unified Afrika, we will need to secure our resources. Consequently we will have little choice but to maintain military preparedness for defense against aggressor nations.