Rabat, Nov. 25, GNA – The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank have called for accelerated implementation of national energy compacts and regional integration plans to ensure reliable electricity supply and industrial growth across Africa.
Speaking at a high-level energy forum organised by Mission 300 on the sidelines of the Africa Investment Forum, Batchi Baldeh, Director of Power Systems at AfDB, emphasized that aligning national master plans with regional power pool strategies was critical to optimizing resources and achieving economies of scale.
He noted that while countries such as Guinea possessed significant hydro potential and others like South Africa rely on coal and gas, regional cooperation remained the key to balancing deficits and surpluses.
“We must guarantee power supply security as we transition to renewables. Outage costs in terms of lost GDP are huge and can bankrupt utilities and economies,” Mr. Baldeh said.
He stressed that public investment in transmission infrastructure was essential, as private sector participation in this area remains limited.
“Investors will only come if they have a clear line of sight to returns. Governments must lead through national master plans aligned with regional strategies,” he added.
Mr. Baldeh highlighted ongoing projects such as the Côte d’Ivoire–Liberia–Guinea–Sierra Leone transmission line (CLSG) and plans for cross-power pool interconnections between East and Southern Africa.
He underscored the importance of community access projects alongside large-scale infrastructure to ensure inclusive benefits.
Simon Stolp, Energy Practice Manager for Africa East at the World Bank, said that 29 African countries had developed national energy compacts under Mission 300, outlining reforms to unlock investment and accelerate universal access to sustainable energy.
He cited successes from Cohort One countries, including Côte d’Ivoire’s record-low solar tariff of 3.3 euro cents per kilowatt-hour and Mauritania’s competitive solar tenders.
Off-grid electrification is also gaining momentum, with Madagascar and Malawi launching multi-million-dollar financing programmes to support private sector innovators.
Mr. Stolp stressed that transparency and good governance were central to building a bankable energy ecosystem.
“Several countries have disclosed audited financial statements for their utilities, setting a precedent for accountability and market confidence,” he said.
Both institutions called for stronger coordination among governments, development partners, and the private sector to sustain progress.
They urged capacity building for Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs), which play a pivotal role in tracking reforms and facilitating investment.
The forum concluded with a renewed commitment to accelerate reforms and deliver reliable, affordable energy for industrialization, job creation, and economic resilience across Africa.
Mission 300″ is an initiative by the African Development Bank and the World Bank Group, and backed by the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All and the African Union to provide electricity to 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
Since the Mission 300 Declaration in Dar es Salaam in January 2025, 32 million out of the around 600 million people in Africa, who currently lack access to electricity, had been connected to electricity in less than a year.
The initiative involves African countries creating “National Energy Compacts” that outline their strategies for expanding energy access.
These compacts involve reforms in the energy sector, infrastructure development, and efforts to attract private sector investment.
The benefits of providing electricity is seen as crucial for economic development, job creation, and improving daily life, health, and environmental conditions across Africa.
GNA
Edited by Christian Akorlie