Rabat, Nov. 25, GNA – Leaders of Africa’s energy sector have reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating electricity access across the continent under Mission 300, a joint initiative aimed at connecting 300 million people to reliable and affordable power by 2030.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank (AfDB), said the Mission 300 programme was designed to empower entrepreneurs and communities by ensuring access to energy for industrial development, communication, and job creation.
“Today’s event is about changing life, enabling children to study, assisting entrepreneurs achieve their dreams because they have affordable and reliable power to run their businesses, and guaranteeing that that communities remain connected with each other, and to access opportunities, be it industrial development, value addition, communication, generating quality jobs.This is what Mission 300 is all about,” he said,
The initiative is backed by the World Bank Group, AfDB, the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All with support from the African Union.
He stressed that private sector involvement was critical, with 50 per cent of funding for 29 national energy compacts expected from private investors.
Kariuki urged countries showcasing their energy compacts at AIF – including Comoros, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Lesotho and Guinea – to demonstrate dynamism to attract financing for critical investments.
“Capital will flow to countries that can demonstrate a competitive edge in their investment environment,” he added.
Erik Fernstrom, Regional Practice Director, World Bank, highlighted progress since the Dar es Salaam Declaration in January, reporting that 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.
He said the World Bank was implementing nearly 90 projects to expand energy access and another 60 to strengthen the broader energy sector, including renewable generation and utility reforms.
“Mission 300 is built on a simple but urgent premise: everybody deserves access to energy,” Fernström stated, praising Morocco’s achievement of universal access as a model for other African nations.
“We’re implementing close to 90 projects to expand energy access, and around 60 projects for the broader energy sector, including power trade, renewable energy generation, as well as reforms and utility turnarounds,” he added.
Tarik Hamane, CEO of Morocco’s Office National of Electricity and Drinking Water, described energy access as a “moral imperative” and shared Morocco’s experience in rural electrification, which rose from 16 per cent in 1996 to nearly 100 per cent today.
He said Morocco stands ready to share technical expertise and capacity-building strategies with other African countries.
Mission 300 partners will continue discussions at the Africa Investment Forum to mobilize resources and accelerate implementation of national energy compacts, which are seen as powerful tools to attract investment and drive reforms.
“Mission 300” is an initiative by the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group to provide electricity to 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
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