Angola is a country in Southern Africa with a beautiful coastline. For quite a long time, the country has experienced warfare that did not see its economic growth expand. After the end of the war in 2002, Angola has been working on rebuilding and restructuring the infrastructure. For over a decade, development strategies have been put in place so that the country can go back to its former state. This article details how infrastructure growth has contributed to the development of Angola.
Despite major milestones in developing the infrastructure, Angola has been hit by some challenges. In 2014, for instance, the country sank into recession after crude oil prices went down. Oil is the largest source of revenue in Angola, recording 85% of the revenue. However, the over-dependence Angola had on oil production resulted in substantial public debt. For Angola to grow its infrastructure, diversifying the sources of income is vital. This would be facilitated by putting up infrastructure.
In efforts to improve infrastructure, Angola’s leadership has promised to work on the social infrastructure. Meeting the needs of immediate Angolans is the most important way of building the economy. This is because these are the people who contribute daily to the growth of the economy. It is important, therefore, that the government takes care of its social infrastructure. Setting up education facilities, hospitals, recreation grounds, and drinking water systems is significant. These are some of the projects that the government is embarking on. As a result, Angola is in the process of getting back to being the second-biggest producer of oil in the continent after Nigeria.
Joao Laurenco, Angola’s newly elected president (2018) promised to be at the forefront in improving the infrastructure of Angola, which is still lagging. He took office recently after the long-serving Eduardo dos Santos’ (ruled for 38 years) ruling term elapsed. During his first state visit to China, he was promised a disbursement of US$ 2billion for development by the China Development Bank. China is ready to expand its diplomatic ties with Angola, which started in 1983.
Some of the sectors that are the priority in infrastructure development in Angola are telecommunications and transport industry. In the telecommunications industry, Africa has seen growth in mobile technology global internet developments and the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS). The internet speeds and mobile connectivity are growing at alarming rates. Recently, the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) new submarine transmitted live traffic to South Atlantic, thus connecting South America to Sub-Saharan Africa for the first time.
During the visit, Joao Laurenco also toured the Technological Research Center of Huawei, the 2nd biggest mobile manufacturer in the world. This company has invested in Angola’s projects for over 20 years. The president hopes that Angola’s international relations will give room for more funding of telecommunications projects.
The $2 million investment is set to be focused on the transport sector. This will lead to the construction of roads, railways, ports, and airports. Streamlining the transport system is not only important for economic growth, but also for supporting the tourism and travel sector.
