By Obinna Uballa
Seventeen African governments have endorsed concrete plans to accelerate electricity access as part of Mission 300, an ambitious initiative spearheaded by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group to connect 300 million Africans to power by 2030.
The commitments were announced on Friday at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum in New York, where countries including Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone and Togo signed onto National Energy Compacts.
The Energy Compacts, developed with technical support from partners, serve as tailored blueprints for each country to guide public spending, spur reforms, and attract private investment across three key areas: infrastructure, financing, and policy, a statement from the organisers said on Friday.
“Electricity is the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth,” said Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group. “That’s why Mission 300 is more than a target – it is forging enduring reforms that slash costs, strengthen utilities, and draw in private investment.”
African Development Bank President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah stressed the transformative role of reliable energy, noting: “Give a young entrepreneur power, and you’ve given them a paycheck.”
Since Mission 300 was launched, some 30 million people have gained access to electricity, with more than 100 million connections already in the pipeline.
The new commitments build on earlier endorsements by 12 countries – including Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia – that pledged over 400 policy actions to strengthen utilities, reduce investor risk, and clear obstacles to energy access, the statement said.
African leaders used the forum to highlight their national ambitions. Kenya’s President William Ruto said the country’s compact aligns with its economic transformation agenda and aims to deliver universal access to electricity and clean cooking while transitioning to a fully renewable grid by 2030. Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio described his country’s compact as “the most ambitious and comprehensive energy infrastructure initiative ever developed for Sierra Leone.”
Other leaders, including Ghana’s John Dramani Mahama, Mozambique’s Daniel Chapo, and Ethiopia’s Taye Atske Selassie, underscored the role of power in driving industrialisation, regional integration, and inclusive development.
Mission 300 is being supported by partners such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), alongside other development finance institutions providing technical and financial backing.
With more than 600 million Africans still lacking electricity, organisers say the initiative represents one of the continent’s most ambitious collective pushes to end energy poverty and unlock economic growth.
