Electricity Niger

Niger just started build a hydro-dam knows as the Kandadji dam. The funds for this project is being underwritten by the Islamic Development Bank, to the tune of $236 million with an additional $700 million coming from the far East, and I mean the East from the great wall of China. What is sad is that, this project has been on the table for more than thirty (30) years.
One would ask what took so long? The answer is not so simple. First Niger is one of the poorest countries in Africa, if not the whole world. Sadly, Niger like most African countries is very rich in mineral reserves (namely Uranium). Before anybody asks why can’t Niger mine and sell its resources. The answer is very simple, for a poor nation like Niger, sacrificing today for a better tomorrow, is not done. It can bring on demonstrations and possible military revolutions, so the powers that are, dare not entertain such an idea; the stomach first!
There is oil in Niger, that is not being explored, sorry I said that, because the 800 pound gorilla in the ring is looking at that oil (the Chinese are interested, and they are not hiding their intention). They are willing to give interest FREE loans as the saying goes, “there are no free lunches”.
Niger is currently getting almost 90% of her electricity from big sister Nigeria, you can read anything into this relationship, but at least, Nigeria is being her sister’s keeper.Prime Minister Seini Oumarou is not looking malnurished to me, neither is President Mamadou Tandja. This landscape has a bunch of hippos running loose.