The World Bank has helped 300 million people in Africa get electricity by 2030

A young girl in Côte d'Ivoire holds a solar panel

At the 2024 Spring Meetings, the World Bank and the African Development Bank launched an ambitious plan to provide at least 2030 for the conference 300 million Africans have access to electricity. Dubbed Mission 300, this commitment is now galvanizing development partners to take action to build momentum in Africa and beyond.  

According to the World Bank, Africans are on the verge of becoming the world's largest labor force, and with access to modern electricity, they have the opportunity to turn the region into a major engine of the global economy.

Currently, about 600 million people in sub-Saharan South Africa do not have access to electricity, so they have to use charcoal for cooking and heating and costly and polluting generators for lighting.

By connecting to the grid or adopting distributed renewable energy solutions, more Africans can be switched on, making a huge difference to people's well-being, forests and every aspect of Africa's economy.

Accelerate access to modern energy

According to the World Bank, Africa accounts for nearly 83% of the world's population without electricity. The lack of affordable, reliable and sustainable energy hinders people's livelihoods and businesses.

For Africa's people to prosper, electrification needs to triple the rate.

In addition, universal access to electricity will enhance the region's resilience to climate change by enhancing the functioning of critical emergency services such as hospitals and shelters, as well as promoting climate-resilient agriculture through solar-powered irrigation systems, refrigeration, and food processing facilities.

The momentum is growing

As part of the initiative, the World Bank has pledged to bring 250 million people to electricity and the African Development Bank to provide another 50 million people with electricity.

The World Bank's investment is already building momentum towards Mission 300. In Eastern and Southern Africa, for example, the Accelerating the Transition to Sustainable and Clean Energy Access aims to bring 100 million people in 20 countries to electricity.

The programme has been launched in Burundi, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia and Tanzania, among others, and many more wish to join the first wave of operations.

In West and Central Africa, the Nigerian Renewable Energy Scaled Distributed Power Project will benefit more than 17.5 million Nigerians, 20% of the country's population currently without electricity, and replace more than 250,000 polluting and costly diesel generators.

The new Regional Emergency Intervention for the Solar Sector, covering countries such as Chad, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo, is increasing access to electricity for millions of consumers by increasing grid-connected renewable energy capacity and building regional interconnection and transmission networks.

In addition, regional cooperation is supported to provide cheaper and more reliable electricity to 14 countries in the region by supporting the West African Power Pool project.

The private sector is critical to closing the funding gap

While estimates differ, Africa needs far more funding to electrify than development banks can provide, according to the World Bank, highlighting the importance of large-scale private investment to achieve Mission 300 goals.

According to the World Bank, companies must step in and scale up investment in transmission and distribution and cross-border energy trade.

Institutions such as the World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are working together to provide better incentives and guarantees to businesses operating in this space.

Regional partners are the key to success

In addition to its partnership with the African Development Bank, Mission 300 has further strengthened strong relationships with regional institutions.

For example, the World Bank is working with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, a group of 21 African countries, to create a "one-stop" regional platform.

The platform will provide opportunities for technical assistance, capacity building, centralized mobilization of finance, streamlined procurement procedures, knowledge sharing and collaboration for countries participating in the Accelerating the Transition to Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Program. The platform also helps to prepare the project so that it is eligible for bank loans and ready for investment.

Charities support Mission 300

Public philanthropic partners, such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the United Nations' Sustainable Energy for All initiative, are mobilizing public and private finance to augment and supplement the resources of the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

Lifting Africa out of poverty will be a hot topic of discussion during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and the World Bank and the African Development Bank will hold a marginal event on helping to connect Africa.