Introduction
It is challenging to call today’s world completely fair and equal for all. No matter how hard the governments of different countries try to unite all people and give them equal opportunities, it is practically impossible. Many economic, social, and governmental models aim to create an ideal society in which all people have equal rights and options and are not dependent on others. Unfortunately, however, this idea has remained only theoretical. This paper will examine the possibility of bringing the people living in Africa, who lack the necessities that have become indispensable in today’s world, such as electricity, back to their everyday lives.
Improving People’s Lives in Africa
The present time has brought many opportunities for people to create and use electrical energy in different areas and for unique purposes. The most common use might be connecting household devices to the power grid, making life much more accessible, and relying on one’s strength for household chores at home and many other functions. Due to increased digitalization and globalization, a person these days cannot exist without the ability to communicate with others regardless of distance. Now social networks, the possibilities of rapidly developing and providing a massive range of services, starting from the fundamental purpose of communication and the possibility of transferring files over huge distances, are gaining particular development. This makes people independent of delivery services and allows them not to waste precious time communicating in the usual way, namely by sending letters.
Electricity is also used for other purposes, such as lighting. It’s hard to imagine any country that doesn’t use even bare light bulbs in the evening and at night. People are so used to this kind of convenience that they don’t imagine it happening. However, countries that don’t even have this kind of convenience are not only doing fine at night without electricity but have found more natural and natural alternatives (Armstrong, 2018). However, it is also worth noting that they were not found to reduce heat or other replacement alternatives to improve the environment, but because of living conditions that do not allow you to count on more advanced ways.
It so happens that in African countries, there are a number of problems that are incredibly difficult and costly to solve, both financially and logistically. This makes it impossible to count on the rapid development of many countries on this continent, and for investors, this idea of improving conditions in Africa seems unprofitable. On the other hand, if you look deeper into the issue, you can see a vast potential for development in these countries because of the climate and the low construction cost. The Republic of South Africa can serve as an example where a country with an advanced economy and urbanism for its region has been built with proper development and money’s influence. With the right approach and a concrete development strategy, the chances of improved living conditions are significantly increased. On the part of potential investors in the development process will also be a substantial profit due to the inexpensive equipment and living conditions in a hot climate.
To solve the problem of energy supply in this region, first of all, a large amount of resources is needed since the current situation in Africa does not allow for even the minimum amount of necessary equipment. Investors are required for the purchase and transportation of this equipment. This can be done with the help of advertising campaigns, which focus primarily on the development of the promising field of energy development. The main goal will be to build powerful energy carriers and bases which focus on the development of the field of electrical energy in this region. Since land in Africa is cheap, much money is not needed to buy the territory. Thus, by building power plants, which run on sunlight, it will be possible to solve the energy supply problem, provide its facilities, and establish a line of sale of energy. In addition, since this method will use an alternative power source, it will reduce the risk to the environment, which is no less critical.
The problem could be the mood of the indigenous people. They have been living on their land for many years without an immediate need to connect to the power grid, and it is difficult to predict the mood of society towards this solution. It is also worth remembering that the African people are very respectful of their land due to cultural characteristics and traditions. It is essential to understand that despite the value of the land, it will be challenging to buy from a legal point of view, as the owner may refuse to transfer the rights. In this regard, we can offer an alternative way of solving this problem: lease the land for an extended period of time. This will allow the indigenous residents to retain the right to the ground and the new owners to run a production line.
The indigenous population does not see the need for this business, but it is worth it because they do not use electricity daily. To change their minds, it is necessary to provide evidence of the need to build solar power plants and how much more comfortable they can bring. To do this, it is suggested that a small group of Africans is settled in one of the European countries for some time. This will demonstrate the importance of this technology and show how advanced the civilized world is. When they return home, they can refer to eyewitness accounts of improved living conditions and find a compromise solution to the problem.
It is also necessary to consider other opportunities offered by the construction of solar power plants, in addition to the already mentioned improvement of living conditions and lower emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. In this way, the investor not only profits from the construction of the power plant but also has a strong influence in the political arena. This investment improves one’s reputation and allows one to count on specific preferences, not only from people who have a good relationship with the person or consortium in question but also to attract the attention of others. It is worth noting that it will also be possible to enlist the support of the indigenous people in whose territory and construction occurs. This can directly affect the expansion of the business in the future, provided that the investor will not be seen as taking the wrong steps to strengthen his monopoly.
However, it is also important to say that in addition to the reasons mentioned earlier, it is necessary to maintain the right image. Since this project is designed for alternative energy sources, it is required to distribute the reputational contribution to the task properly. It is crucial to constantly emphasize that the company plans to continue to reduce its emissions in the future, which will allow it to gain the support of eco-activists.
From an economic point of view, it is difficult to predict the expected outcome. This type of investment is full of risks and unforeseen circumstances that must be considered when implementing a project. It is equally important to allocate a certain amount of funds for cases that are difficult to foresee, such as weather conditions and settling in a new location. At first, providing all the necessary amenities to build and live in the area will be complicated. It is pretty energy and costly. On the other hand, the low cost of such an investment and the high payback may convince a potential investor in this area.
Considering this sphere from the social point of view, we can conclude that everything is not as unambiguous as it seems at first glance. Of course, this area plays a vital role not only in the project’s construction but also in its future life. When implementing, it is necessary to consider the most critical factor, human resources. This concerns not only the employees who will build the facility but also the residents of the land where the work will be carried out, society as a whole, and potential investors in the project. In the case of the workers has already been said earlier that such work is costly, and not everyone will be able to overpower the idea. Therefore, it is worth it because there may be a shortage of experienced specialists working on this project. It is also important to note that the natives have a number of cultural characteristics and traditions, which are also mentioned earlier. However, in addition to the importance of the land itself and its values, people in that region are far from civilization, and some of their customs may seem strange to the inexperienced. Because of this, it is necessary to observe the prevalent conditions in that land. It is essential to consider all the region’s peculiarities and treat the inhabitants respectfully, who may already offer some resistance to the project.
The primary stakeholders, in this case, will be those who have launched the production line and set up facilities for electricity generation. These people will be the first to receive the company’s shares in exchange for their financial investments and will be responsible for the development of the company in the future. Secondary stakeholders are people who will be able to buy back a part of the company from prominent people and thus also contribute financially to the overall goal.
Speaking of people in the global sense implies the perception of the idea as a whole because the mood of society can significantly affect the plans. In this case, it is suggested that such a project will not cause negative perceptions but rather, on the contrary, will encourage people to join the wilderness (Armstrong, 2018). It is essential to note that this idea may seem brutal to some people, as it is similar to a seizure of indigenous land. To do this, it is necessary to convince others that this project is entirely legal and its construction was planned together with the local authorities. Thus, the degree of pressure in society will be reduced to a minimum, and they will be able to count on support from outside. This will support the investors and attract new people to the production.
From a technological point of view, it will be challenging to complete this project because the construction site has not established the necessary supply route. This means that the time it will take to complete construction will be much longer than on other continents. This may cause some people to abandon the idea and close the project. However, it is worth noting that technology is so advanced nowadays that the delivery time will not be significantly longer because public support can positively affect production. This means that delivery routes will be of primary importance in the construction of these kinds of project buildings. This will reduce the risk of difficult consequences of the start of construction, and the possibility of the project being delivered on time will increase significantly.
It is obvious that the most critical interested party in this project are the investors. They can count on financial profits and the benefits of diplomatic relations at the expense of their monetary influence. This will allow them to implement their power more grammatically and make a promising career in business. Also, in addition to this site, people who will receive the goods in the form of electric power may be interested in the project. It is hard to say how badly Africans need it. Still, the current technology is so advanced that there should be no problems delivering energy to this and other continents. Also, ordinary people who monitor the quality of the environment may be interested in this kind of thing. For a long time, this problem has been bothering humankind, and such steps towards improving the conditions for electricity production may seem right to them.
All the possible problems encountered by those engaged in this idea have already been described earlier, but for more convenient work, all the difficulties mentioned will be summarized here. First, with horizontal scanning, all possible risks are taken into account, although it is impossible to calculate them. The most obvious are the problems with the delivery of materials and human resources. It is also worth noting the indigenous people who inhabit the territory of Africa and their possible resistance to the construction of the future project. No less critical problem can become weather conditions. They affect not only the construction process but also the living conditions of employees. In addition, the inability to predict the project’s payback period scares away potential customers. This can be a big problem because the lack of funding will not allow you to expand opportunities and implement all the ideas that have been thought out. In addition to these reasons, you should also add poor knowledge of the terrain on which the construction will be conducted. This directly affects the entire work process and can lead to complications in production.
Conclusion
To summarize, we can conclude that, despite the general concept of the project and its necessity, there are a massive number of difficulties that will have to be faced. All of them have already been named earlier, and each of these points should be taken into account in the implementation. Despite the problems, it must be said that such projects, although costly, bring not only financial benefits but also help other people and allow you to count on intangible improvements, such as improving the living conditions of people who have never had the opportunity to possess them. Considering all of these factors, it is necessary to properly analyze the investment and develop the right strategy to minimize such risks and put the plan into action.
Reference
Armstrong, B. (2018). Challenges in setting up an accreditation system in Africa – what can be learnt. ISBT Science Series, 7(1), 6–9.