Seventeen African governments have committed to reforms and actionable plans to expand electricity access as part of Mission 300, a partnership led by the World Bank and the African Development Bank Group aiming to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

Governments from Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, and Togo endorsed National Energy Compacts at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum.

These compacts serve as policy blueprints to guide public spending, drive reforms, and attract private investment. Nigeria had previously joined the initiative alongside Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia, collectively pledging over 400 policy actions to strengthen utilities, reduce investor risk, and remove bottlenecks.

World Bank Group President Ajay Banga emphasized the importance of electricity, stating, “Electricity is the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth. 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.”

Since the launch of Mission 300, 30 million people have already been connected, with over 100 million in the pipeline.

African Development Bank Group President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah highlighted the impact of reliable power on small and medium enterprises, saying, “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.”

National Energy Compacts are tailored to each country’s context, integrating infrastructure, financing, and policy tracks. The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group are working with partners like the Rockefeller Foundation and Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to support powering Africa.

Leaders from participating countries emphasized their commitment to energy access. President Duma Boko of Botswana stated, “This National Compact is our shared pledge to ensure accessible, reliable and affordable energy as a basic human need, to transform our economy and create jobs, and to electrify our journey to an inclusive high-income country.”

President Paul Biya of Cameroon expressed commitment to transitioning towards renewable energies, while President Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros called for collective action to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030.

President Taye Atske Selassie of Ethiopia highlighted Ethiopia’s dedication to universal, affordable, and sustainable energy access, saying, “Our National Energy Compact exemplifies Ethiopia’s unwavering dedication to ensuring universal, affordable, and sustainable energy access for all. By unlocking our vast renewable resources and strengthening regional interconnections, we aim to foster inclusive growth domestically and propel Africa’s collective momentum toward ending energy poverty.”