AfDB, SEforALL Launch New Programme to Accelerate Mission 300 Targets

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) have unveiled a new technical assistance programme aimed at accelerating the implementation of Mission 300, the continent-wide initiative seeking to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

The programme, launched during the Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs) Convening in Nairobi, falls under the Africa Energy Sector Technical Assistance Programme (AESTAP–Mission 300 Phase I) and is designed to strengthen the institutional capacity of participating countries.

Mission 300 is a joint initiative of the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group focused on expanding access to affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity across Africa.

Under the new programme, the AfDB will provide technical support to national Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units established by participating countries to coordinate and drive implementation of their energy access commitments.

SEforALL, which will serve as the implementing partner, is expected to lead programme execution over the next 12 months through stakeholder engagement, peer learning, knowledge sharing and performance monitoring activities.

The initiative builds on SEforALL's existing role as Secretariat to the Mission 300 Joint Working Group and the Compact Working Group, structures that have helped coordinate National Energy Compacts across 30 African countries.

These national compacts outline country-specific reforms, investment priorities and electrification targets aimed at expanding energy access and supporting economic development.

Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation at the African Development Bank Group, Wale Shonibare, said the programme would help translate Mission 300's objectives into measurable results by strengthening government delivery systems and improving coordination of national electrification efforts.

He noted that the initiative aligns with the Bank's commitment to accelerating universal energy access and creating stronger policy and regulatory environments for investment in the energy sector.

Chief of Staff at Sustainable Energy for All, Lolade Abiola, said the organisation welcomed the programme as a critical step toward improving coordination, monitoring progress and supporting the implementation of National Energy Compacts across participating countries.

According to her, stronger institutional capacity will enable countries to effectively track commitments, resolve implementation challenges and accelerate progress toward universal electricity access.

Mission 300 has so far connected more than 50 million people to electricity and supported 30 African countries in developing National Energy Compacts designed to expand energy access by the end of the decade.

The initiative is supported by several development partners, including the World Bank Group, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Energy Alliance and Sustainable Energy for All.