At the Powering Africa Summit, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet have jointly committed over US$100 million to support Mission 300, a flagship initiative by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank aimed at connecting 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030.

Since the initial US$10 million announcement in September 2024, the partners have bolstered government delivery capacity through technical assistance, mobilized private sector investment, accelerated project pipelines, and advanced electrification efforts across nearly two dozen countries.

Our joint commitment has grown more than tenfold to US$100 million,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, during a fireside chat with The Hon. Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of Energy. 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, emphasized the role of catalytic capital in turning ambition into tangible results:

“Mission 300 is fundamentally about delivery. Partners such as the Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance strengthen government capacity, de-risk investments, and accelerate projects that mobilize larger flows of public and private finance.”

Dr. Shah added that the initiative represents the Foundation’s largest-ever investment in electricity access, which he described as a “single best pathway out of large-scale poverty.”

Currently, 730 million people globally lack access to electricity, with 85% in sub-Saharan Africa, limiting healthcare, education, digital inclusion, job creation, and local economic development. According to the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, lack of electricity is the single greatest predictor of extreme poverty.

“Reliable, affordable electricity is essential for jobs, prosperity, and resilience,” said Woochong Um, CEO of the Global Energy Alliance. “Our focus is ensuring new electricity connections translate into durable economic opportunity for people and communities across Africa.”

Mission 300 operates through a partnership of the World Bank, African Development Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance, and Sustainable Energy for All. It implements national energy compacts, economy-wide reforms, investment programs, technical assistance, and private sector mobilization.

To date, the US$100 million commitment has supported 23 countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia. Key initiatives under this commitment include:

• Providing technical assistance to National Energy Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs) and funding 18 Mission 300 Fellowships to accelerate electrification.
• Launching the Clean Cooking Accelerator Initiative in Kenya to reduce reliance on polluting fuels like charcoal and wood.
• Expanding the Productive Use Financing Facility (PUFF) to support energy-efficient appliances for small businesses and farmers.
• Strengthening African-led energy research and building the next generation of regulators and energy professionals.
• Investing in Zafiri, Mission 300’s permanent capital fund, to provide patient equity for distributed renewable energy programs.
• Introducing a flexible, short-to-medium-term technical assistance facility for rapid deployment of philanthropic capital.
• Supporting an investment-friendly environment for private sector participation through initiatives like the Acumen Hardest to Reach Fund, DARES, and the African Development Bank’s SEFA.

The initiative also benefits from the guidance of the Alliance’s Global Leadership Council, co-chaired by Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister of Norway, and Dr. Shah.

Since its launch in April 2024, Mission 300 has connected around 44 million people to electricity, with a pipeline expected to reach tens of millions more by 2026. The program has also facilitated the launch of National Energy Compacts in 30 countries, setting targets and investment priorities to accelerate access to sustainable energy across Africa.