For a continent that boasts abundant renewable energy sources like hydropower, solar and wind, this cannot continue. Key challenges are infrastructure-related and poor investment. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Mission 300 is a new development initiative to increase energy access across Africa through gathering funding, renewable energy, policy reforms and infrastructure.
It aims to halve the number of people without access to electricity on the continent by 2030. There are almost 600 million people without electricity.
Thirty African heads of state, the continent’s business leadership and development partners recently met in Tanzania’s largest city and financial hub Dar es Salaam to address this issue under an initiative championed by the African Development Bank in partnership with the World Bank.
When the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit met at the end of January a plan was made with one goal: to expand access to reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity to 300 million people in Africa by 2030, boosting growth, employment and quality of life.
Twelve countries — Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the 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.
Leaders pledged their commitment in a declaration during the summit. Known as the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, it will be submitted to the African Union Summit in February for adoption.
The energy summit aimed to address donor and recipient relations. Instead of the traditional aid approach, announced partnerships showed a more collaborative approach marking a shift in donor-recipient dynamics.
The African Development Bank and the World Bank are to allocate $48 billion in financing for Mission 300 by 2030, an allocation which could evolve to fit the implementation needs of various countries.
Additional contributions to the initiative were made by Denmark, the UK and Spain. Japan will soon pledge funds. These funds have been donated to initiatives like the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa and the Africa Green Infrastructure Alliance, a platform of the African Development Bank, Africa 50, and other partners that will develop sustainable infrastructure projects that can be adapted for investment.
The commitment is rooted in expanding renewable energy access through infrastructure, policy reforms and development aid. The programme will prioritise sustainable financing models and address critical challenges such as currency mismatches in project funding.
African Development Bank group president Akinwumi Adesina highlighted tangible progress, noting that “the share of the population with access to electricity in Africa significantly increased from 39% in 2015 to 52% in 2024”.
However, he stressed that, 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”.
Many parts of the African continent suffer from electricity shortages, a key barrier to development. This lack of energy access has ripple effects on health, education and economic growth. In some cases, hospitals struggle to keep essential medical equipment running, students study by candlelight and businesses face significant stunting due to inconsistent energy access.
For a continent that boasts abundant renewable energy sources like hydropower, solar and wind, this cannot continue. Key challenges are infrastructure-related and poor investment.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said, “Over the next decade, 360 million young people in Africa will attempt to enter a workforce that is expected to only offer opportunities to 150 million, leaving 210 million — three of every five — out.
“Our mission to address the fundamental challenge of providing electricity to half of the 600 million people in Africa without access is a critical first step. It forms the cornerstone of a jobs agenda and the foundation for future development,” Banga said.
“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 said.
The pledge of over $50 billion from development partners shows the urgency and recognition for sustainable long-term solutions to electrify the continent in a way that doesn’t add to its climate footprint. The projects for renewable investment can deliver power to communities in a sustainable way that leverages the continent’s abundant solar, wind and hydropower potential.
Mission 300 will also examine how African countries, such as Ethiopia and Kenya, have shown that renewable access can be expanded with proper investment. Among these initiatives are decentralised renewable energy solutions, such as mini-grids, off-grid solar and other efforts that can reach remote communities.
But challenges remain. Significant infrastructure gaps, weak regulatory frameworks, and financing bottlenecks hinder progress. Many African governments struggle with inefficient state-owned utilities and transparent energy policies that could attract private-sector investment.
To combat these issues, policies must focus on modernising electricity markets, ensuring cost-reflective tariffs and improving transmission and distribution networks. To ensure investments reach their intended destinations, they must be converted to tangible projects with proper coordination and accountability.
The African Development Bank must work closely with governments to remove hurdles and speed up project implementation.
Adesina emphasised 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.”
Improving energy access to electricity is a fundamental human right. It is not only about economic development but about dignity, equity and the right to quality of life. In order for Mission 300 to transform lives, it needs determined action, strategic policy shifts and long-term investment, he added.
Ozayr Patel is a freelance journalist and editor.