Seventeen African Nations Endorse Mission 300 Energy Compacts for Universal Power

The program seeks to deliver electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030, setting in motion wide-ranging reforms, investment pipelines, and infrastructure upgrades.

In a landmark step toward tackling Africa’s persistent energy poverty, seventeen African governments have formally committed to National Energy Compacts under Mission 300, a joint initiative of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). The program seeks to deliver electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030, setting in motion wide-ranging reforms, investment pipelines, and infrastructure upgrades.

A Bold Commitment to Energy Access

The announcements were made during the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum, where leaders from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Principe, Sierra Leone, and Togo endorsed their National Energy Compacts. These blueprints serve as actionable frameworks that guide public investment, policy reforms, and private sector participation in energy access.

“Electricity is the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth. Mission 300 is more than a target—it is forging enduring reforms that slash costs, strengthen utilities, and draw in private investment,” said Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group.

Since the initiative’s launch, 30 million people have already gained electricity connections, with an additional 100 million people in the pipeline.

National Energy Compacts: A Practical Blueprint

Energy Compacts are country-specific strategies structured around three tracks:

1. Infrastructure development – expanding grid and off-grid solutions.

2. Financing mechanisms – mobilizing both public and private capital.

3. Policy reforms – strengthening utility performance and de-risking investment.

Earlier this year, another 12 African nations, including Nigeria, Senegal, and Tanzania, endorsed similar compacts, collectively pledging over 400 policy reforms to improve electricity reliability, cut investor risk, and accelerate universal access.

African Development Bank: Power as a Growth Multiplier

Highlighting the economic ripple effect of energy access, AfDB President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah said:

“Reliable, affordable power is the fastest multiplier for small and medium enterprises, agro-processing, digital work, and industrial value-addition. Give a young entrepreneur power, and you’ve given them a paycheck.”

Leaders’ Voices: A Continental Commitment

African heads of state and ministers underscored the urgency and ambition of their compacts:

• Botswana’s President Duma Boko called electricity a “shared pledge” to transform economies and create jobs.

• Cameroon’s President Paul Biya highlighted a transition toward renewable energies and low-carbon growth.

• Congo’s President Denis Sassou Nguesso noted his country’s 27,000 MW hydroelectric potential, positioning Congo to supply one-third of Africa’s power needs.

• Ethiopia’s President Taye Atske Selassie emphasized unlocking renewable resources and regional power interconnections.

• Kenya’s President William Ruto pledged universal access and a 100% clean grid by 2030, aligned with Kenya’s economic agenda.

• Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo framed his country as a future regional energy exporter with abundant clean resources.

• Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio described his country’s compact as its most comprehensive infrastructure plan to date.

• Togo’s President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé highlighted mobilizing the private sector to make Togo a competitive energy hub.

Other leaders from Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, São Tomé and Principe, Comoros, Burundi, and Namibia echoed themes of inclusivity, investment attraction, and renewable energy transitions.

Partnerships Driving Mission 300

Mission 300 is supported by a coalition of global development partners, including 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). Development finance institutions and co-financing partners are also aligning resources behind the initiative.

Toward a Future of Universal Energy Access

Mission 300 represents one of the most ambitious collective energy access programs in Africa’s history. By combining political will, policy reform, private investment, and global partnerships, the initiative aims not only to power homes but also to ignite small businesses, enable digital transformation, and support green industrialization.

With nearly 600 million Africans still living without electricity, these commitments mark a turning point. If fully realized, Mission 300 will accelerate Africa’s journey toward universal energy access, economic resilience, and climate-smart development—laying the foundation for inclusive prosperity across the continent.