The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank Group pledge a combined $40 billion to the Mission 300 initiative, aimed at providing electricity to 300 million people across Africa by 2030.
AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina announces the commitment during his keynote address at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He shares that AfDB contributes $18.2 billion, while the World Bank commits $22 billion to the project.
Adesina highlights growing support from other partners, including the Islamic Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the OPEC Fund. He expresses appreciation for the contributions of organizations like the Rockefeller Foundation, emphasizing the collective effort to improve energy access in Africa.
He urges African leaders to take decisive action, stating, “Let us decisively use Mission 300 to provide 300 million people in Africa with electricity by 2030.”
The AfDB’s Desert to Power project, linked to Mission 300, aims to generate 10,000 megawatts of solar power across 11 countries, bringing electricity to an additional 250 million people. Together, these efforts are expected to transform energy access across the continent.
Adesina points out that Africa’s lack of electricity reduces the continent’s GDP by 2% to 4%. Under AfDB’s New Deal on Energy for Africa, launched in 2016, the share of Africans with access to electricity rises from 39% in 2015 to 52% in 2024. More than 25 million people gain access to electricity through AfDB projects. Despite this progress, 571 million Africans still lack electricity, representing 83% of the global population without power. In addition, over a billion people are without clean cooking solutions, which negatively impact health, particularly for women and children.
To address these challenges, the AfDB and its partners launch Mission 300, with the goal of providing electricity to 300 million people in Africa by 2030. Adesina praises the global coalition supporting the initiative, including the African Union Commission, the World Bank, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He describes this coalition as an unprecedented alliance of financial and technical resources.
World Bank President Ajay Banga emphasizes the importance of collaboration in tackling energy poverty across the continent. He notes that Africa’s young population is growing rapidly, with 360 million young people expected to join the workforce over the next decade. However, the current system will only provide jobs for 150 million, leaving many young people without employment opportunities. Banga stresses, “Forecasts are not destiny; together, we can change this reality.”
He acknowledges the contributions of key partners, including AfDB and philanthropists like Dr. Raj Shah of the Rockefeller Foundation. “No one can do this alone. Governments, businesses, and development banks must work together,” he says. The World Bank Group commits $30 billion to $40 billion to Mission 300 over the next six years.
The AfDB continues to finance projects and programs across a range of sectors, including agriculture, energy, water, private sector development, economic integration, and gender equality, with a focus on advancing Africa’s overall development.
 and the World Bank Group pledge a combined $40 billion to the Mission 300 initiative, aimed at providing electricity to 300 million people across Africa by 2030.){kind=link}