
In examining the rise of nations, it is important with careful investigation to isolate the most important phases in the development of those nations. It is during these periods that a lot of infrastructure is built, industries spring up then majority people belonging to these nations get not only Jobs but high-quality well-paying Jobs.
The United States of America
One can talk of the United States’ American gilded age, a period during which a lot of infrastructure interstate highways were built. The laying of the transcontinental railroad across the United States following the 1862 Pacific Railway Act during which the United States government intervened with funding and free land in order for this important infrastructure to be built. A lot of accompanying enterprises and employment were created.
The People’s Republic of China
In China the same applies, businesses and jobs were created during the construction phase of their massive highways and world leading high speed railway network. This building of China’s high speed railway network happened just recently starting in 2007 when China had almost no high-speed rail.
Europe
In Europe, the Marshall plan can be examined after Europe developing chaotically over centuries with senseless wars and conflicts amongst the numerously tiny European countries. This Marshall plan was almost the first organised development plan in Europe with which a lot of infrastructure was rebuilt after the European World War 2 in which Hitler sought to dominate Europe and Russia, only for defeated Europe to be helped by Russia then Soviet Union, leading to Hitler’s defeat hence saving an already weak and capitulated Europe.
India
One can confidently say that the phenomena under discussion is happening in India as well, for some reason Africa has always lagged behind India in key developments, here independence can be brought up. India is currently engaging in a massive infrastructure drive as well as industrial development on all fronts including semiconductors. This rapid development, the author has argued needs and has to happen in Africa as well and as soon as this generation.
Africa
Unlike the above briefly elaborated cases, Africa has developed in a manner one can term as one of “disorganized development”. While the United States came way after europe onto the development scene, its habit of legislating development projects continentally can only be compared to that of China which has almost perfected it. From Slavery which provided free labour under legislation, Jim crow segregation which concentrated wealth where it was needed, the already Pacific Railway Act of 1862, to the 1944 Federal Aid Highway Act under President Franklin D Roosevelt.
While there are numerous examples to learn from in order to leapfrog the already developed nations of the World, Africa unlike what Kwame Nkrumah envisioned; an Africa built in an organised manner under what he termed Scientific Socialism, which is nothing else but what the United States, China, Russia and India have all done and are doing, the continent adopted or was forced to adopt a disorganized development path.
This meant that Africa could not develop coherently along a defined path but like Europe, the development became chaotic to this day. Different groups and so-called heads of state moving in different directions, some coming from outside the continent as far as europe to further their extractive interests, America, China, India, Israel, Turkey and now from Arabia.
This approach has led to Africa’s sickly and disconnected infrastructure, worst of all built by foreigners hence leading to massive loss of jobs which are necessary in any serious country’s development stage. From roads to railways, dams to telecommunication networks, nuclear power plants, thermal power plants and so on. Yet these development infrastructure projects were built or are being built by the indigenous people of those already developed nations. Most importantly, the building of these infrastructure was driven by the Idea of mass Job creation during construction and later maintenance, and not their use merely.
The Author not only argues for but is pushing others to recorgnise and act with foresight; Africa’s Primary concern should be the Construction of a Continental Railway Platform known as the African Railway Triangle Network Master Plan (ARTNMP) which should be built by Africans with very little help from foreigners apart from the integration technologies which the Continent doesn’t possess currently.
This should be followed by construction of the Inga Dam in DR. Congo, and other four nuclear power plants across the continent each to produce an amount of 40,000 MW just like the Inga Hydro Power Dam which is projected to have the capacity of powering 20% of the African Continent.
Along the railway link, fiber Optic cables for a continental communication platform will be laid in order to Unify the continent with the three most important sectors that have led countries and civilisations to explode into industrial revolutions. (Mustering areas such as Transport, Communication and Energy)
Invested in, the Author also points out the source of funding in his previously many publications and initiatives, these sectors and projects once built by Africans are bound to unlock unimaginable benefits, they will not only create massive jobs for the African People but many other industries will spring up, giving them a multiplier effect Character and therefore bringing into being a new Africa.
Kwame Gonza is a Mechanical Engineer, Railway Engineering Consultant, Pan Africanist Member of the African Continental Unity Party, the Architect of the African Railway Triangle Network Master Plan and Founder of Century Rail Ltd.