THE world has an infrastructure problem, Africa is at the top of the list. African governments find themselves fiscally strained by retracting economies, reduced tax revenues and oil receipts due to low oil prices, State Owned Enterprises across parts of Africa are struggling and starved for cash such as South Africa utility giant, Eskom and greater demands for public assistance [entitlements, health care, welfare, pensions, unemployment benefits] and support of their populations. Ultimately, infrastructure is mostly a financial problem due to lack of long term, readily available and cost effective capital which is at the core of successful global infrastructure development.
Consequently, infrastructure spending and development has been delayed. The United States alone estimate over the next five years the federal government will need to spend at least U.S. $2.2 trillion (yes, U.S. $2.2 trillion) just to maintain, repair and build merely its most critical infrastructure – they do not know where the funds will come from. The United Kingdom has declared similar infrastructure needs, and has admitted that the UK government and HM Treasury do not have the resources to complete their infrastructure plans.