Much is being done to challenge the negative impact of oil production in Africa. In her new book, Celeste Hicks looks at the complexities of the scramble for oil, and what has been achieved
In 2008, Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, was an eerie place to arrive in late at night. As the plane descended, there was virtually nothing in the dusty Saharan blackness to indicate that a capital city lay just metres below. There was only one tarmac road that ran like a belt around the little city; the stretch towards the new Kempinski Hotel lay in darkness except for the odd ray of orange light from the headlights on clapped-out taxis.
Today, it is a different city. A new two-lane highway leads from the airport to the city centre, where a huge Place de la Nation (Nation Square) has been built opposite the presidential palace with a triumphal arch, fountains, statues and television screens. Although it’s important not to overstate the improvements in street lighting in the outlying neighbourhoods, the centre at least is now easier to navigate at night, with new tarmac replacing uneven mud routes.