Mission 300 Brings Electricity to Over 50 Million Africans, Accelerating Toward 2030 Target
Over 50 Million Africans Gain Electricity Access Under Mission 300, World Bank and AfDB Report
The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank (AfDB) announced on June 16, 2026, that more than 50 million people across Africa have gained access to electricity under Mission 300, a flagship initiative launched in 2024 aiming to connect 300 million people by 2030.
According to the two institutions, the program is now progressing at nearly twice the pre-launch pace, driven by investments across the full energy value chain, from generation to last-mile household connections.
Significant progress has been recorded in several countries. Tanzania has connected about 7.5 million people, five times its previous annual rate.
Ethiopia has added 4.6 million new connections following reforms that reduced the cost of access, while Nigeria has enabled more than 4.5 million people to gain electricity through private sector-supported solutions.
To support this expansion, nearly USD 15 billion has been mobilized, alongside USD 4.5 billion in co-financing and more than USD 7 billion in additional partner pledges.
In parallel, 30 African countries have adopted National Energy Compacts to strengthen electricity infrastructure, expand renewable energy, and attract further investment.
Despite this progress, Africa remains the region with the largest electricity access gap globally. At the same time, it holds vast untapped potential, including nearly 60% of the world’s best solar resources, as well as significant hydro, wind, and geothermal capacity.
The Democratic Republic of Congo illustrates this contrast. While it possesses an estimated 100,000 megawatts of hydropower potential particularly at the Inga site much of its population still lacks reliable access to electricity.
Reaching 50 million beneficiaries represents a major milestone for Mission 300, but around 250 million people are still expected to be connected to meet the 2030 target.
