Powering Africa’s Future

About two thirds of Africa’s people lack electric power. Eager to secure electric power that would help struggling economies, African nations must decide on an energy source and are inpatient about waiting for alternative sources like solar power. South Africa once produced enough power to share with neighbors like Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, but now finds itself in short supply. “Now, the country is pioneering a new generation of much smaller nuclear reactors, which it hopes will solve not only its own power problems but also the rest of Africa's,” reports Vera Kwakofi for the BBC World Service. Namibia also relies on power from South Africa, but with a source of uranium, seeks to develop nuclear power plants. Nigeria also explores its nuclear options. Western nations worry about radioactive material falling into the “wrong hands,” Kwakofi reports. But alternative-energy sources are neither reliable or affordable just yet, and Africans want power as quickly as possible. – YaleGlobal