The President/Chairman, Board of Directors, African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has called for urgent action on electrification for Africa to drive its development.

He made the call while speaking  on ‘Taking Africa’s Energy Agenda to the Next Level’, at the ongoing Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit on Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“I want to begin by thanking His Excellency President Zulu Aznani for hosting us in this beautiful country of Tanzania and everyone here for joining this global mission to ensure Africa has the electricity it needs to power itself,”  Adesina said.

He highlighted Africa’s pressing energy challenges, stating: “This continent loses  three to four per cent of its GDP annually due to the lack of electricity.

“Over 571 million Africans remain without access to electricity, accounting for 83 per cent of the global population living without it. This must change.”

 Adesina underscored the need for collaboration among governments, private sector players, civil society and development partners to address Africa’s energy crisis.

“This isn’t about us as institutions; it’s about the millions of people without access to electricity. We must act for them. This summit must be action-driven,” he stressed.

He urged African governments to lead by example, calling for increased investments in power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure.

“Countries must prioritise last-mile connectivity, reform utilities and reduce technical and financial losses. Regional power-sharing agreements are also crucial,” he added.

The Mission 300 initiative, a partnership spearheaded by the AfDB, the World Bank, and key global stakeholders, aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

As part of this mission, energy compacts are being signed with 12 countries to ensure access for 145 million people.

Adesina highlighted the importance of accountability, stating: “This is not a talking summit. It’s about delivering megawatts of power, not megawatts of talk.”

On private sector role and investment climate, Adesina acknowledged the private sector’s critical role in achieving energy goals, emphasising the importance of creating a conducive regulatory environment.

“Private investors need predictable and transparent policies. The cost of capital in Africa is three to four times higher than in other regions, which must be addressed.

“The summit also underscores the broader implications of electrification for economic growth, job creation and human dignity.

“Electricity is a human right. It powers education, healthcare, digitisation and economic opportunities. Without it, we cannot develop,”  Adesina said.

The AfDB boss reaffirmed the commitment of the bank and its partners, urging all stakeholders to work together to make Mission 300 a success.

“We cannot develop in the dark. Together, we will light up and power Africa,” he said.

Also, the President of the World Bank Group, Mr. Ajay Banga, while highlighting the progress made since the initiative’s launch in 2024, noted that regulatory reforms and geospatial mapping were helping to streamline efforts.

He added that the bank had financed partnerships, including a $30 billion to $40 billion commitment, aimed to transform energy access across the continent.

Meanwhile, the President of the Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Rajiv Shah, commended the summit’s African-led approach.

He said: “This effort must be African-led at every level. With over 30 heads of state committing to energy compacts and private sector engagement, this is an extraordinary moment.

“An extraordinary gratitude and thanks to both Ajay and Akin for the leadership, they and their institutions, all the work that the teams have shown to bring us to this point.

“You’re right. The world should ask itself, does this summit in Tanzania matter? Will it deliver something that has a chance to be wildly successful? Frankly, at a time when a lot of global politics have moved towards a more inward and populist focus around our planet.

“I am extremely confident that the answer to that question is yes, and there are three core reasons why. The first is we all know, everyone in this room knows, in order to have any chance of being successful, this effort has to be African-led at absolutely every level.”

The summit aims to support the implementation of the Continental Master Plan and the African Single Electricity, while the 12 countries are expected to pledge reforms in low-cost power generation, regional energy integration, increased energy access, enabling private investment and utility strengthening.

Tagged: ‘Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit’, and described as ‘’a landmark’’ convention, hosting African Heads of State and Government, the approach is to work towards increased infrastructure investment and comprehensive policy reforms across the entire electricity supply chain, to transform lives and improve livelihoods and communities across the continent.

Under the arrangement, over 1,000 participants from across Africa and beyond have assured the world to make the all-important event a crucial milestone engagement in the continent’s journey towards universal energy access.

The process, according to the organisers, will also further consolidate the progress already made towards widespread electrification in achieving the projected 300 million beneficiaries.

Though, it is claimed that about 600 million people lack access to electricity, representing 83 per cent of global energy deficit, the organisers view convergence of the stakeholders towards electrification of the affected regions affected as a step in the right direction. (NAN)

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