Mission 300 connects 50 million Africans to electricity

What happened?

Fifty million people in 40 African countries now have access to electricity for the first time, through Mission 300. The programme is run by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group.

Households are now getting their first stable power supply twice as often as when the programme began in 2024, according to Good News Network.

How does it work?

Mission 300 aims to halve the number of people without reliable electricity by 2030. Countries agree National Energy Compacts: fixed agendas that public ministries, commercial operators and investors work towards. More than 30 countries have created a compact or are already working under one.

The two banks have committed nearly $15 billion and attracted about $4.5 billion in co-financing for related projects. Other development partners have pledged more than $7 billion for Africa’s energy sector.

Where has it made a difference?

• Tanzania: 7.5 million people have gained access, a five-fold increase in the average annual pace of electrification before the programme.
• Ethiopia: 4.6 million people have been connected, supported by reforms that made grid connections more affordable.

“50 million people connected is a milestone—but the bigger story is the pace and the partnership behind it,” said Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group.

What remains

Good News Network notes that around 600 million people in Africa could still be living without electricity. The report does not say how reliable the new connections are.