Mission 300: That 300 million Africans may have access to electricity

While the rest of the world is advancing in artificial intelligence (AI) and other aspects of technology, about 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity. However, a recent meeting of 30 African leaders in Tanzania threw up plans on how to deliver up to half the number of those without electricity out of darkness. PAUL OMOROGBE shares excerpts:

If there is no access to electricity, Africa cannot achieve its developmental aspirations or secure its rightful place in the global economy as energy access is the cornerstone of economic transformation, opening doors to education, healthcare, and income generation.

Across Africa, electrification efforts have been tepid, failing to keep pace with rapid population growth, especially in rural and remote areas where outdated energy infrastructure is struggling to meet current demand, let alone expand to underserved areas.

Without access to reliable power, economic opportunities remain constrained, with households and small businesses bearing the brunt of the challenge.

The reliance on alternative energy solutions, such as diesel power generating plants place significant strain on household budgets and stifle the growth of small enterprises due to high operational costs.

In rural areas, the lack of extensive power infrastructure is also forcing families to depend on kerosene lamps, which aside from being expensive, expose them to serious health risks as a result of indoor air pollution.

According to Statista, the number of people without electricity in sub-Saharan Africa steadily increased from 2000 to 2013, reaching a peak of approximately 612 million.

However, between 2014 and 2019, several countries on the continent made some strides towards increasing access to electrical energy and improving overall conditions.

Statista reported a decline in electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa in 2021, with approximately 597 million people lacking electricity connections, compared to 581 million in 2020. This indicates that nearly five out of every 10 individuals in the region lived without access to power. The situation was even more severe in rural areas, where over 70 per cent of the population lacked electricity.

The World Bank’s 2024 report highlighted that Central and West Africa have some of the lowest electrification rates globally, with 220 million people in West Africa living without power, representing an electrification rate as low as 8 per cent in some areas.

Similarly, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that 600 million Africans lack access to electricity, out of a population of over 1.3 billion, accounting for approximately 83 per cent of the global energy deficit.

What makes this challenge particularly significant in Africa is that, for many years, the power sector has been plagued with challenges that are interconnected, including low access rates, poor maintenance, inadequate investment, non-cost-reflective tariffs, unsustainable subsidies, and financial instability.

Most public utilities in Africa are financially strained. They struggle to meet their operating expenses and are unable to fund necessary capital investments to sustain their operations, leaving them heavily dependent on government subsidies.

Nigeria’s situation

According to the Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria (REAN), the country has the world’s largest absolute electricity access deficit, with 45 per cent of the population (90 million) lacking access to the electricity grid, a recent World Bank report states. Large disparities exist in access to electricity between urban areas (84 per cent) and rural ones (26 per cent).

This deficit has increased by over seven million citizens over the last decade as the pace of population growth has overtaken the pace of electrification, the report adds. This disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, particularly women and children, worsening existing inequalities.

Electricity is an essential part of modern life and important in driving socio-economic development. People’s needs for electricity vary from powering home appliances, operating machines, enabling communication, storing agricultural produce, preserving medical equipment, and transportation, to mention but a few. Nigeria should be able to transmit about 15,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity, but due to weak and ageing infrastructure, it transmits less than 5000 MW of about 13,000MW of electricity generated to its over 200 million citizens.

These recurring energy challenges have further worsened the country’s economy and forced vulnerable groups’ reliance on unclean and unsustainable sources like kerosene and firewood, leading to respiratory illnesses and deforestation.

In a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, standard operating procedures for most hospitals require energy use for water supply, temperature control, lighting, ventilation, and clinical processes. Primary health centres (PHCs) are supposed to be the first places to go for health services in rural areas, but many of these facilities in Nigeria underperform due to lack of energy access.

A recent report by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) estimates that 40 per cent of PHCs in Nigeria lack access to electricity. This lack of reliable access to energy continues to undermine the coverage and quality of basic healthcare and social welfare services delivered to millions of people in the country.

Pregnant women still give birth to their babies in the dark, and critical surgeries are carried out using candlelight and torchlights.

 

Mission 300 to the rescue

On January 28, 30 African Heads of State and government committed to concrete reforms and actions to expand access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to power economic growth, improve quality of life, and drive job creation across the continent. The leaders pledged their commitment in a declaration during the two-day Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in the Tanzanian commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. Mission 300 partners pledged more than $50 billion in support of increasing energy access across Africa.

The Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration represents a key milestone in addressing the energy gap in Africa, where more than 600 million people currently live without electricity. The commitments in the Declaration are a critical piece of the Mission 300 initiative, which unites governments, development banks, partners, philanthropies, and the private sector to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. The Declaration will now be submitted to the African Union Summit in February for adoption.

By addressing the fundamental challenge of energy access, Mission 300 serves as the cornerstone of the jobs agenda for Africa’s growing youth population and the foundation for future development.

Twelve countries, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia, presented detailed National Energy Compacts that set targets to scale up electricity access, increase the use of renewable energy and attract additional private capital. 

These country-specific plans are time-bound, rooted in data, endorsed at the highest level and focus on affordable power generation, expanding connections, and regional integration. They aim to boost utility efficiency, attract private investment, and expand clean cooking solutions. Deploying satellite and electronic mapping technologies, these compacts identify the most cost-effective solutions to bring electricity to underserved areas.

“Tanzania is honored to have hosted such a monumental summit to discuss how, as leaders, we will be able to deliver on our promise to our citizens to provide power and clean cooking solutions that will transform lives and economies,” said Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the Republic of Tanzania.

Implementing the National Energy Compacts will require political will, long-term vision and the full support from Mission 300 partners. Governments are paving the way through comprehensive reforms, complemented by increased concessional financing and strategic partnerships with philanthropies and development banks to catalyze increased private sector investment.

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), emphasized the need for decisive action to accelerate electrification across the continent. “Critical reforms will be needed to expand the share of renewables, improve utility performance utilities, ensure transparency in licensing and power purchase agreements, and establish predictable tariff regimes that reflect production costs. Our collective effort is to support you, heads of state and government, in developing and implementing clear, country-led national energy compacts to deliver on your visions for electricity in your respective countries.”

In emphasising the transformative role of electricity in fostering development, the President of AfDB said: “No economy can grow, industrialise or be competitive in the dark. Access to electricity is not just about power, it’s about creating jobs, improving healthcare, and fostering education. Mission 300 represents a bold step towards lighting up and powering Africa.”

“Access to electricity is a fundamental human right. Without it, countries and people cannot thrive,” said Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group.

“Our mission to provide electricity to half of the 600 million people in Africa without access is a critical first step. To succeed, we must embrace a simple truth: no one can do it alone. Governments, businesses, philanthropies, and development banks each have a role—and only through collaboration can we achieve our goal,” he added.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, highlighted Nigeria’s advancements in the energy sector during the summit. He noted that Tinubu has accelerated key initiatives to enhance energy access nationwide.

He emphasised Nigeria’s dedication to renewable energy, highlighting ongoing efforts in solar and clean energy under President Tinubu’s administration. Dare noted that the President is set to unveil a compact initiative aimed at advancing this agenda.

He highlighted that existing partnerships were yielding results, citing the AfDB’s commitment of N75 billion to Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to enhance renewable energy development.

He expressed confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to meet its energy commitments, emphasising the key pillars of President Tinubu’s energy policy: sustainability, affordability, and accessibility, which align with the broader objectives of the summit.

“Africa coming together to pool its resources, whether it’s hydro, solar, wind, or the emerging green hydrogen is commendable. With our enormous gas deposits and tropical sunlight, we have what it takes to power the continent, Tinubu is a president who can make a pitch for his country, win deals, and secure solid commitments for foreign direct investments. Look at what happened in Brazil and what’s happening in agriculture. He’s bringing that same determination to energy,” he said.

During the summit, partners announced a series of commitments:

African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group plan to allocate $48 billion in financing for Mission 300 through 2030, which may evolve to fit implementation needs

Agence Francaise de Development (AFD): €1 billion to support energy access in Africa

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB): $1 billion to $1.5 billion to support Mission 300

Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group: $2.65 billion in support of Mission 300 and energy access in Africa from 2025-2030

OPEC Fund: An initial commitment of $1 billion in support of Mission 300 with additional financing to follow

World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group: Launched Zafiri, an investment company that supports private sector-led solutions, such as renewable mini-grids and solar home systems. Zafiri anchor partners will invest up to $300 million in the first phase and mobilize up to $1 billion to address the persistent equity gap in Africa in these markets.

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Why Mission 300 now?

On his part, the Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth at the AfDB Group, Kevin Kariuki, spoke on the role of Mission 300 and why it is needed now.

He said, “Mission 300 will invest in new and rehabilitation of generation capacity, transmission systems, including intra- and regional interconnections, as well as distribution grids to build robust and reliable power systems.  It will be complemented by reforms in the energy sector to ensure affordability and sustainability of electricity service, and financially viable utilities while partnerships with the private sector will assist in mobilizing funding at the required speed and scale

“In addition to providing electricity access from interconnected power systems, through Mission 300’s transformative vision, mini-grids, and stand-alone solar home systems will be prioritized to provide electricity to underserved regions and communities, including in fragile and remote areas where extending the interconnected grid is impracticable.  These Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) solutions are amenable to easy and speedy roll-out, cost-effective, modular, sustainable, and can ensure that no community is left behind in the Mission 300 journey. DRE solutions are projected to account for more that 50% of new connections by 2030.”

Speaking on why Mission 300 is needed now, Kariuki said: “Firstly, is the unity of purpose and visionary leadership of African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group Presidents that has led to the forging of a structured approach to definitively address the electricity deficit problem in Africa, in collaboration with other development partners.

“Secondly, the continent is blessed with abundant energy resources, including renewable energy, such as 60% of the world’s best solar potential, of which only a tiny proportion has been harnessed.

“Thirdly, the cost of renewable energy technology, particularly wind and solar, has reduced dramatically in the recent past making electricity generation from these sources cost competitive compared to sources of conventional power.  Moreover, access to information communication technology, and digitization thereof, currently enables payment platforms that support distributed renewable energy solution.

“When combined, the foregoing provides unprecedented opportunities for addressing the continent’s energy access deficit while also espousing a low-carbon growth trajectory, to support Africa’s climate goals.”

He added: “Mission 300 is more than an energy initiative; it is a moral imperative. It represents a collective commitment to uplift millions from poverty, foster inclusive economic growth, and create a resilient, green future. But its success hinges on robust support from all stakeholders—governments, development partners, the private sector, and civil society. Together, we must prioritise reforms, mobilize investments, and leverage partnerships to transform Africa’s energy landscape.”

 

‘A tight journey’

Daniel Schroth, the Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at AfDB, highlighted the urgent need for implementation to tackle Africa’s energy crisis.

“It’s a tight journey because 2030 is only five years away and we have to deliver, not expected connections, but actual connections to 300 million by 2030,” he said.

Also, AfDB’s Director of Energy Financial Solutions, Policy, and Regulation, Wale Shonibare, emphasised that investments in generation, transmission, regional interconnection, and sector reform must complement efforts to ensure that the power supply is reliable, affordable, and sustainable.

“The recently launched Technical Facility Accelerator Fund is a promising step in this direction, providing technical assistance to governments and helping streamline processes to achieve Mission 300 targets. By working together, we can transform the energy landscape of Africa and, in doing so, create a brighter, more prosperous future for millions,” he said.