UK pledges £620m for African infrastructure projects
More than £600m of government funding will be given to help build vital infrastructure in Ghana, Zambia, Gabon and Uganda today.
International trade secretary Liz Truss will today set out the spending plans at the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London, announcing that the UK Export Finance (UKEF) will fund the initiative.
The £620m will go toward 750 hospital beds for maternity care in Ghana, an upgraded terminal at Ghana’s Kumasi airport, 600 hospital beds and 108 rural healthcare centres powered by solar energy in Zambia, an industrial business park in Uganda, upgrades to over 80 kilometres of road surfaces in Gabon and equipment toward a Ugandan roads project. British companies have been awarded the contracts to deliver the construction projects.
“Africa is home to eight of the 15 fastest growing economies in the world and its economic prosperity matters to the UK,” Truss said.
“We want the UK to be the partner of choice in Africa so I am delighted that, with UKEF’s support, British expertise will form a key component of these infrastructure projects.”
Boris Johnson will attend today’s summit and will call for Britain to be the “investment partner of choice” for African countries.