(PHOTO CREDITS: Courtesy THE STAR)
When it comes to minerals, Africa is a land of contrasts. According to a World Bank report, Africa is home to 30 per cent of the world’s mineral reserves, 10 per cent of the world’s oil and 80 per cent of the world’s gas.
Yet, despite such enormous resources, the continent’s poverty rate stands at 41 per cent. And out of the world’s 28 poorest countries, 27 are in Africa, all with a poverty rate above 30 per cent.
While mining countries appear to fare better than other countries abroad, this is not the case in most resource-rich countries in Africa.
Kenya sits on a number of minerals, including gas and oil, that are increasingly being exploited. The country has proven deposits of titanium, coal and gold. The government has also been pursuing the possibility of constructing a coal power plant. Despite these resources, few people have benefited.
