Nigeria: Amaechi Restates Commitment to Build New Rivers - Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has expressed his commitment to making a fresh start anchored on development and enforcement of law and order. [AA Construction]

Kenya: China Pledge for Country Projects - The Chinese Government has given Kenya Sh600 million to fund the development of infrastructure and promised to provide more funding as soon as Nairobi provides its list of priority projects. [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria: Estate Developers Allay Fears Over Service Schemes - A mid controversy trailing the authenticity of real estate development initiative at Mowe -Ofada axis of Ogun State, a handful of developers appear to be making appreciable strides. [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria: Developers Make Case for Govts' Contracts Awards - Developers handling the Kuje housing projects under the Public Private Partnership Scheme (PPP) have appealed to the Federal Government to share infrastructure costs with developers to enhance greater success of the PPP scheme. [AA Urbanisation]

Nigeria: Residents Protest Parkview Estate Contraventions - ALL is not well in highbrow Parkview Estate in Ikoyi in Lagos, where a spate of unwholesome physical development projects seems to be turning the supposedly exclusive residential scheme on its head. [AA Urbanisation]

Kenya: Plan Properly, Architects Tell State - The architectural association of Kenya wants the government to establish a fully fledged metropolitan ministry that will oversee the planning and development of all towns in the country. [AA Construction]

Kenya: French Funds to Give Kisumu Facelift - Social facilities in Kisumu are about to enjoy a facelift courtesy of a planned Sh4 billion investment from the French Development Agency (AFD). [AA Urbanisation]

Uganda: USAID Gives Gulu Sh840 Million for Construction - THE United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has given sh840m to complete the new Gulu district administration block. Some of the money will be used to rehabilitate the office of the resident district commissioner. [AA Construction]

Gambia: The Revolution And Development - Often, when we talk of infrastructural development, what comes to mind, are roads, water supply, power grids, sewers, telecommunications, schools, hospitals etc. These aforementioned features of infrastructural development, anywhere, are regarded as basic necessities for continuous survival of any society. This is to say, infrastructure refers to the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society. [AA Urbanisation]

By Bongekile Mhlanga

Malalane - Partners are being sought to develop the first-ever hotel for the Kruger National Park.

The hotel, which was initially set to be built inside the park's boundaries, will now be built near Malalane.

South African National Parks (SANParks) wants to enter into a public private partnership to build the hotel.

“SANParks is looking to generate money for itself, to alleviate poverty through job creation for the communities around the Malalane entrance gate, develop the community, and promote tourism, biodiversity protection and conservation,” said SANParks spokesperson Ronald Thakhuli.

The hotel was to be situated at the confluence of the Matjulu and Crocodile rivers, near the entrance gate.

“There has been opposition to building the hotel inside the park and we are still conducting research to find a suitable location for it,” added Mr Thakhuli.

He said a hotel in Malalane burnt down in 2008, prompting SANParks to look into building its own hotel in the area.

Namibia: Von Bach Project Said to Be 'Fatally Flawed' - TUNGENI Africa Investments, the BEE company that controversially obtained a 100-year lease over the Von Bach resort, was warned by NamWater and Department Water Affairs officials in October that their proposed 240-home development is "fatally flawed". [AA Construction]

By Kristin Palitza

African economic experts at the World Economic Forum on Africa have called for a regional approach to the global financial crisis, but South Africa - the continent's strongest economy - does not want to play ball.

South African minister of trade and industry, Rob Davies, believes strict trade policies, regulation and export to developed countries are the most suitable mechanisms to protect the South African economy.

"We will resort to regulation and tariffs. The rules-based trading system gives us policy space [to do this] and it would be naïve to imagine countries won't use this policy space," he told delegates at the Forum, taking place in Cape Town from June 10 to 12.

While developed countries have resources and finance available to deal with the economic crisis, developing countries rely on fighting the economic downturn with non-financial instruments such as tariffs, Davies explained.

Uganda: World Bank Approves $100 Millon For North - THE World Bank has approved a $100m (about sh220b) project to support the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan in northern Uganda. [AA Construction]

Uganda: Government Blamed for Delaying Development Plan - Non-Governmental organisations have blamed the Government for delaying the National Development Plan, saying the country lacked direction in development. [AA Urbanisation]

Rwanda: Kigali Seeks to Modernise City Housing Status - Kigali City is wooing investors to invest in ready for development multi-million dollar construction related projects. The 730-square kilometre city, with the fastest growth rate in Africa at 10.7% and one million population, seeks to sell special construction projects designed based on the city master plan inaugurated in 2008. Kigali's housing demand is estimated at 10,000 units per year, according to government estimates. [AA Urbanisation]