Africa’s push to close its electricity access gap has received a major boost following a commitment of more than $100 million from the The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet in support of the continent-wide Mission 300 programme.
Mission 300 is a flagship electrification initiative led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank, with the ambitious goal of connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. The programme is increasingly being positioned as one of the most important large-scale development interventions currently underway across the continent.
The latest announcement significantly expands earlier support. Since the Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance first pledged $10 million toward Mission 300 in September 2024, their combined investment has grown more than tenfold, reflecting growing international confidence in Africa’s electrification strategy.
Beyond financing infrastructure deployment, the funding is supporting technical assistance programmes designed to strengthen government implementation capacity, accelerate project preparation pipelines, and mobilise additional public and private sector investment into national electrification programmes across nearly two dozen African countries.
According to Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank, catalytic financing partnerships remain essential to translating electrification ambitions into measurable results on the ground.
“Mission 300 is fundamentally about delivery and turning ambition into results at scale,” Kariuki said. “Catalytic capital from partners such as The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance plays a critical role in strengthening government delivery capacity, de-risking investments, and accelerating projects that can mobilise much larger flows of public and private finance.”
Electricity access continues to represent one of the most significant barriers to economic development across Africa. An estimated 730 million people globally still lack access to basic electricity, with approximately 85 percent living in sub-Saharan Africa. Limited energy access continues to constrain healthcare delivery, education outcomes, digital inclusion, industrial growth, and employment opportunities across many countries.
Speaking during a discussion with Chris Wright, Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, described the investment as the organisation’s largest-ever commitment focused specifically on expanding electricity access.
“The Rockefeller Foundation has made its biggest-ever bet on connecting people to electricity as the single best pathway out of large-scale poverty,” Shah said. “Our investment reflects our commitment to putting countries in the lead, harnessing frontier technology, and focusing relentlessly on achievable, measurable goals.”
The funding is also supporting the rollout of Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units across participating countries. These specialised implementation platforms are designed to strengthen coordination between governments, financiers and project developers while improving monitoring and reporting capacity within national electrification programmes.
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In addition, the initiative is expanding support for clean cooking solutions across sub-Saharan Africa, where roughly 70 percent of households still rely on charcoal and firewood for daily cooking needs. Expanding access to cleaner alternatives is expected to deliver major health, environmental and gender-equality benefits across participating regions.
According to Woochong Um, Chief Executive of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the broader objective is to ensure that electricity connections translate directly into economic opportunity and long-term resilience.
“Reliable, affordable, abundant electricity is essential for jobs, prosperity and resilience,” Um said. “Our focus is on ensuring that new electricity connections translate into durable economic opportunities for people and communities across Africa.”
Countries currently benefiting from Mission 300 support include Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.
Together, these investments are expected to play a critical role in accelerating electrification progress across both grid-connected and distributed renewable energy systems, helping position energy access as a foundation for inclusive growth across the continent.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News. He specializes in conversations around data centers, AI, cloud infrastructure, and energy.
