A new laptop has been brought out which harnesses the natural power of the sun. Samsung Electronics’ NC215S laptop computer could not be better suited to Africa and the needs of its people. It looks unusual, with a hefty solar panel on the back of the screen, but it works just like any other similar computer and it is a very environmentally friendly way to connect to the World Wide Web.

It has the smallest carbon footprint of any laptop ever made, because as well as its traditional battery it uses renewable sunlight as energy. The solar panel (technically a photovoltaic panel) will absorb enough of the sun’s rays to keep the laptop working, with a bit of surplus to charge the battery for when the clouds come. The battery itself far surpasses anything else on the market, as it is capable of 14.5 hours of use on a single charge. This is several times the ability of the leading brands’ ordinary laptops. It is also a very durable battery – it is supposed to be able to withstand 1000 charges over a three year period, which is a larger number of charges than it should ever require. All of these factors combine to make a laptop perfectly suited to parts of Africa which have been unspoilt by the invasion of electricity.

Part of the reason why the laptop has such a long battery life is the innovative way in which the processor and the inner workings of the machine conserve energy. Everything about the laptop is streamlined and efficient so as to use as little electricity as possible. This is the kind of technology which will awaken parts of Africa and encourage political discourse, like the IMB “Jam” initiative which involves tens of thousands of people brainstorming online.

Leaders and organisations are hoping that a better-connected Africa will result in a more knowledgeable population with a better understanding of the political process. If everybody is able to view what is happening in their nation and the countries around them, then they will be more likely to actively take part in politics or even pursue a political career.

Charities and women’s groups are also suggesting that the internet age will empower women and lead to more women in politics. All over Africa, women are forming a greater percentage of the leaderships of countries, towns and constituencies. Many countries are heading towards a statutory minimum quota of women in the leadership assemblies. All of this is made possible by the dissemination of knowledge and information throughout the continent of Africa – even to the many places where life has not yet been spoilt by the arrival of high speed internet or reliable electricity.

The Samsung Electronics’ NC215S will be available very soon and is likely to alter the political face of rural Africa.

Denis Sassou N’Guesso, the president of the Republic of Congo, said that this was good news for the country. He said that the country relied heavily on oil, which was a depleting resource and may not be sustainable. He went on to say: “Caution requires us not to continue to put all our eggs in one oil basket, thus, the vital need to diversify our economy by rapidly expanding other areas.”

The non-oil revenues will be able to support growth in the Republic of Congo over the coming years and decades. The production of crude oil has fallen recently, and this change has been met with a drop in oil revenue. While this is undoubtedly a change for good in terms of the health of the planet, The Republic of Congo is going to have to meet this with vigorous revenue increases elsewhere. So far, the country has proved more than capable, as the 25% increase in non-oil revenue demonstrates. Government budget projections suggested that oil production would rise by 2% in 2011 to 348,000 barrels per day. The International Monetary Fund said that it predicts that oil production in the Republic of Congo will peak in 2012 at a rate of 370,000 barrels per day. President Denis Sassou-Nguesso says that oil production may have peaked by 2012.

Much of the revenue which did not come from oil came from emerging industries like the agro-industrial sector. An increase in exports made this sector particularly successful in 2011, and it is expected to provide around nine percent of the Republic of Congo’s economic activity over the whole year.

President Denis Sassou N’Guesso has pledged to plough a trillion CFA Francs on public investment projects throughout the Republic of Congo. These investments are going to create jobs, enterprising opportunities, increase exports and hopefully diversify the commercial and industrial sectors of the country. In terms of jobs alone, the President expected between 27,000 and 30,000 jobs to be created by the investment. 16,000 further jobs are likely to be created in the mining and timber sectors, he added.

The future is very bright for the Republic of Congo, even if the oil fields do begin to be less productive in the coming years. Because of the innovative politics and economic solutions used in the country, the Republic of Congo is going to be prosperous through other means even when the oil runs out. Commentators expect that this progressive thinking will spread throughout Africa, for which oil extraction provides a large chunk of GDP. It is vital that the Republic of Congo keeps expanding its economic horizons and is not tempted to keep all its eggs in one “oil basket”.

Atiku Abubakar. Mr. Abubakar has served not only as Nigeria’s Vice
President, but is also the founder of The American University of
Nigeria, the only American-style University south of the Sahara.
As a young boy, Mr. Abubakar was taught by American Peace Corps
teachers. He had never responded well to rote memorization, the
hallmark of education in Nigeria at the time. When the Peace Corps
teachers encouraged his independent thinking, it changed his life.
Years later, successful in business and politics, he wanted to
provide to others the education he had received.

Six years ago he opened the doors of The American University of
Nigeria. It now enrolls 1200 students on a totally wireless
campus—the largest single user of Google in all of Nigeria—and has
graduated its first three classes. Its Board includes Archbishop
Tutu, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, a former head of the National
Science Foundation and prominent Nigerian and American
academics and business leaders. It is providing an alternative
model to often troubled higher education systems in West Africa.
Hosted by journalist Bill Moyers, first Deputy Director of the Peace
Corps, His Excellency Atiku Abubukar will participate in a
discussion panel of Peace Corps alumni, including the President of
Rwanda and former President of Peru. The celebration will focus on
“The Future of the Peace Corps” at the National Theater in
Washington, D.C. on September 24.