In what has to be one of the most successful PR stunts in green-wash history, the people representing rap artist Akon have managed to convince half the world’s media that the “Smack That” singer is about to bring solar power to no less than 600 million people in Africa. That would mean bringing power to every single person without power in the whole of Africa..

The PR drive coincides with the launch of the opening by the “Akon Lighting Africa” intiative of a  “Solar Academy” in Mali which will train engineers in the skills needed to develop solar power across the African continent. Akon’s solar initiative invests an average of $75,000 to bring solar power to one village. By Gaia’s calculation it would cost around $98,468,250,000 to rollout solar at that cost through the rest of the continent. Gaia wishes “Akon Lighting Africa” the best of luck…