More than 50 million people across 40 African countries have gained electricity access under Mission 300.
According to the latest report from Mission 300, released during the ongoing Africa Energy Forum, the programme has reached more than 50 million people in two years since its launch.
Dr Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, said that the achievement is an important step toward the mission’s shared goal of reaching 300 million people in Africa with electricity by 2030.
In Tanzania, 7.5 million people have gained access to electricity, a fivefold increase in pace compared to before Mission 300 began. Ethiopia and Nigeria have recorded 4.6 million and 4.5 million connections respectively.
Dr Shah noted that reforms have made grid connections more affordable in Ethiopia, while in Nigeria, private-sector-led initiatives have reached communities that the grid did not.
The World Bank and African Development Bank Group, together with other private sector partners led by the Rockefeller Foundation, have raised nearly $15 billion towards the project.
Dr Shah said that there is still a lot to be done in order to achieve the 300 million target by 2030, noting that it will take the same urgency that has driven progress so far.
“The work is far from finished. The goal is to connect 300 million people by 2030, and reaching it will take the same urgency and partnership that has carried us this far,” Dr Shah said.
In an exclusive interview with The Africa Feature Network, Carol Koech, Vice President for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), said attracting private capital remains one of the most important factors in achieving Mission 300’s goal of connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
“Public and concessional finance alone will not be enough to achieve universal electricity access. The scale of investment required demands much greater participation from private capital,” Koech said.
She noted that investors are interested in Africa’s energy sector but often require greater confidence that projects can move from concept to implementation at scale.
“Investors are looking for predictable policy environments, strong institutions and clear pathways to scale. Mission 300 helps create those conditions and translate ambition into finance-ready action,” she said.
Koech said GEAPP has committed more than $2 million to support interconnected mini-grids in Nigeria and more than $7 million through the Mwinda Fund in the Democratic Republic of Congo to accelerate the expansion of decentralized renewable energy.
On the broader impact of electrification, she emphasized that success should not be measured solely by the number of new connections.
“Success will not be measured only by the number of people connected to electricity; it will be measured by whether that electricity helps create jobs, strengthen businesses, improve incomes and unlock opportunities for Africa’s growing population,” Koech said.
Andrew Herscowitz, Chief Executive Officer of the Mission 300 Accelerator, in a LinkedIn Post on Monday, 15 June 2026, said the initiative is focused on accelerating implementation and turning national energy commitments into delivery.
“The impact is designed to accelerate private investment, supported by clearer regulations, long-term power demand, and a proven track record of collaboration with international investors and development finance institutions,” he said.
Herscowitz noted that the milestone reflects progress in expanding electricity access across Africa and strengthening coordination among governments, investors, and development partners.
He added that technical and implementation support to governments remains critical to achieving national electrification targets.
Speaking during the ongoing Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, Damilola Ogunbiyi, Chief Executive Officer of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, and Co-Chair of UN-Energy, said electricity access must go beyond household connections and support productive uses.
She noted that energy access should be linked to jobs, healthcare, education, and business development, and stressed the importance of coordination between governments, development finance institutions, private investors, and development partners.
Amana Bawa, Director of Partnerships and Private Sector Engagement at Mission 300 Accelerator, asserted that Mission 300 is the greatest job-creating initiative on the continent.
The initiative is also expected to support distributed renewable energy deployment, which is projected to generate millions of direct and indirect jobs across Africa.
Leaders at the forum emphasized that electricity access is increasingly being viewed as a foundation for economic transformation, industrialisation, and productivity rather than only a development goal.
National Energy Compacts remain central to the approach, with around 30 African countries advancing reforms aimed at improving investment conditions, strengthening governance, and accelerating electrification delivery.
World Bank Regional Practice Director Eric Fernstrom said electrification is now happening at nearly double the previous pace, driven by National Energy Compacts aimed at addressing structural and grid challenges.
While billions in financing are in place, he warned that faster investment and execution will be critical to meeting the 2030 deadline.
The Mission 300 initiative, a joint effort supported by the World Bank Group, African Development Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and Sustainable Energy for All, aims to connect connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
The programme focuses on addressing Africa’s energy access gap through grid expansion, mini-grids, standalone solar systems, and policy reforms under National Energy Compacts being implemented across participating countries.
Mission 300 has mobilised over $50 billion in financing and supported more than 150 projects across 40 countries, according to programme updates.
It continues to combine infrastructure investment with policy reform and partnership coordination to expand access and improve energy reliability across the continent.
