At the Powering Africa Summit, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet jointly committed more than US$100 million to support Mission 300, a flagship initiative by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank that aims to connect 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030.
Since the initial US$10 million announcement in September 2024, partners have strengthened government delivery capacity through technical assistance, mobilizing private sector investment, accelerating project pipelines, and electrification efforts across nearly 20 countries.
“Our joint efforts have increased more than tenfold to US$100 million,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, Chairman of the Rockefeller Foundation, during a fireside conversation with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “The discussion also highlighted the importance of clean cooking solutions in sub-Saharan Africa, a key Mission 300 priority.”
Dr Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank, highlighted the role of catalytic capital in turning ambition into concrete results.
“Mission 300 is fundamentally focused on delivery. Partners like the Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance will accelerate projects that strengthen government capacity, de-risk investments, and mobilize greater public and private financial flows.”
Dr. Shah added that this initiative is the foundation’s largest ever investment in electricity access, calling it “the single best path out of mass poverty.”
Currently, 730 million people around the world lack access to electricity, 85% of them in sub-Saharan Africa, limiting access to healthcare, education, digital inclusion, job creation and regional economic development. According to the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, the number one predictor of extreme poverty is lack of electricity.
“Reliable and affordable electricity is essential for jobs, prosperity and resilience,” said Woo-chung Um, CEO of the Global Energy Alliance. “Our focus is to ensure that new power connections create lasting economic opportunities for people and communities across Africa.”
Mission 300 operates through the World Bank, African Development Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance, and the Partnership for Sustainable Energy for All. Implement the National Energy Compact, economy-wide reforms, investment programs, technical assistance, and private sector mobilization.
To date, commitments of US$100 million have supported 23 countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia. Key initiatives under this initiative include:
Provides technical assistance to the National Energy Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMU) and funds 18 Mission 300 Fellowships to accelerate electrification. Launching the Clean Cooking Accelerator Initiative in Kenya to reduce dependence on polluting fuels such as charcoal and wood. Expand the Productive Use Finance Scheme (PUFF) to support energy-efficient home appliances for small businesses and farmers. Strengthen African-led energy research and develop the next generation of regulators and energy experts. Invest in Zafiri, Mission 300’s permanent capital fund, to provide patient equity for decentralized renewable energy programs. Introduce flexible short- to medium-term technical assistance facilities to rapidly deploy philanthropic funds. Support an investment-friendly environment for private sector participation through initiatives such as the Acumen Hardest to Reach Fund, DARES, and the African Development Bank’s SEFA.
This effort also benefits from the guidance of the Alliance’s Global Leadership Council, co-chaired by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gare Store and Dr. Shah.
Since its launch in April 2024, Mission 300 has connected approximately 44 million people to electricity, and the pipeline is expected to reach tens of millions more by 2026. The program also facilitated the launch of national energy compacts in 30 countries, setting goals and investment priorities to accelerate access to sustainable energy across Africa.
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