The joint initiative of the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and global partners, Mission 300, aims to connect 300 million more people on the African continent to electricity supply by 2030. This collaborative programme was in focus at the Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania at the end of January.
The Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam saw African leaders and development partners commit billions towards universal access to electricity and clean cooking.
Nearly 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity, a critical resource for economic development and job creation. Mission 300 seeks to address this access gap using new technology and innovative financing.
Speaking during the first panel discussion of the opening day of the two-day summit, African Development Bank President, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, set the summit’s tone of action and implementation, emphasising the need for practical solutions to achieve the ambitious goal, from regulatory reforms to private sector engagement. He called for active involvement from a wide range of stakeholders.
“This mission is critical. It’s not about us; it’s about those who are not here. We must make sure this is an action-driven summit,” Adesina said.
Over two days, the gathering saw the participation of several heads of state as well as energy ministers from across Africa, and more than 1 500 other participants, including bilateral and multilateral institutions, private sector entities, civil society organisations, and philanthropic foundations, coming together to chart Africa’s course towards universal access to energy.
“We have a clear path to reaching these 300 million people,” Dr Adesina said, distinguishing Mission 300 from previous efforts. He emphasised that the programme seeks to transform Africa’s vast potential into reality through comprehensive electrification.
“With power, Africa will exceed expectations, becoming a competitive and prosperous continent,” he said.
Mission 300 will incorporate robust accountability measures, including country-specific monitoring and evaluation systems and the Africa Energy Regulatory Index to track progress. “This is about accountability, transparency, and delivery and enabling Africa to develop with pride,” Adesina said.
He also highlighted the severe toll of traditional cooking methods based on firewood and charcoal, which result in the death of some 600 000 women and children annually due to smoke exposure.
The impact extends to environmental sustainability through deforestation and biodiversity loss. “Extending access to electricity is not just about the energy transition,” Adesina said. “This is about dignity. Africa must develop with dignity and pride, and access to clean cooking solutions is fundamental to achieving this goal.” He praised Tanzania for developing a comprehensive national strategy to address this issue.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga expressed his optimism about the initiative, saying its ambitious objectives are achievable through hard work, particularly in ensuring an environment conducive to private sector participation. He emphasised the need for predictability of currencies, regulatory frameworks and land acquisition to incentivise investments supporting Mission 300.
Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, called on global philanthropists to support the programme. “Please join us in getting behind this initiative and the country compacts that the leaders will be signing. What is at stake is the future of African economies, the future of Africa’s young people, and the future of our world,” he said. The Rockefeller Foundation has committed $65 million to the programme.
A watershed moment for Africa’s energy future
The Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit marked a pivotal shift in the continent’s approach to its energy crisis, turning from fragmented national efforts to a coordinated continental strategy backed by robust financial commitments and political will.
African leaders brought clarity to the challenges and opportunities ahead in achieving universal electricity access.
Private sector participants pushed for bold reforms, particularly in transmission and distribution.
The World Bank and African Development Bank's joint commitment of $48 billion paves the way for the crowding in of additional resources from other stakeholders.
World Bank President Ajay Banga made the point that among governments, businesses, philanthropists, and development banks, “no one can do it alone; but together we can".
To catalyse private investment, the IFC announced a new $1 billion fund for companies working on decentralised renewable energy and off-grid solar solutions in Africa. Industry leaders also emphasised the need for sovereign guarantees and local currency financing.
The summit also marked a shift in donor-recipient dynamics. Rather than traditional aid relationships, announced partnerships reflect a more collaborative approach.
Via video link, President Emmanuel Macron of France committed his country to invest €1 billion. France also pledged €10 million, as a new donor, to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), a multi-donor facility unlocking private sector investments in renewable energy. Denmark, the UK and Spain increased their existing contributions to SEFA by €13.4 million, €10.13 million and €3 million, respectively.
Adesina highlighted the tangible progress that has been made on the continent, noting that "the share of the population with access to electricity in Africa increased significantly from 39% in 2015 to 52% in 2024. However, with 571 million people still without electricity, accounting for 83% of the global population without electricity... we must take decisive actions to further drive down these numbers."
The Dar es Salaam Declaration directly addresses the challenges, committing governments to reforms in utility management and procurement transparency, and calling for private sector participation through supportive regulations and innovative financing. Development partners pledged to increase concessional resources and technical support to accelerate implementation.
Looking ahead, the immediate focus will be on translating commitments into action. The twelve countries that presented Energy Compacts during the summit will begin implementing their reforms, serving as test cases for Mission 300’s approach. They are: Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia. The Dar es Salaam Declaration will be presented during the African Union Summit in February 2025, for continent-wide adoption.
At the closing of the summit, Tanzania's President Hassan emphasised, "This summit looks beyond energy access. It is about empowering families, lifting millions out of poverty and providing hope and opportunities for youth. The next 12 to 18 months will demonstrate whether this new approach can deliver where previous efforts have fallen short.”
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