The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet have pledged more than $100m to support Mission 300, the initiative by the World Bank and African Development Bank aimed at connecting 300 million people in Africa to electricity by 2030. According to a statement by the partners, the funding, which began with a $10m commitment in September 2024, has grown more than tenfold over 19 months.
The President of The Rockefeller Foundation, Rajiv Shah, said the foundation has made its biggest-ever bet on connecting people to electricity as the single best pathway out of large-scale poverty.
He said, “Our investment in Mission 300 reflects our commitment to the best way of advancing human well-being in the 21st century: putting countries in the lead, harnessing frontier technology, and focusing relentlessly on achievable, measurable goals. We look forward to working with partners to continue the extraordinary momentum behind Mission 300 and connect even more people in Africa, including its growing youth populations, to jobs, dignity, and prosperity.”
The Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth at the African Development Bank, Kevin Kariuki, added that Mission 300 is fundamentally about delivery and turning ambition into results at scale.
Kariuki explained that 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.
Also, the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Energy Alliance, Woochong Um, posited that reliable, affordable, abundant electricity is essential for jobs, prosperity, and resilience.
The CEO added, “Our alliance is proud to support Mission 300, bringing together the governments, development banks, philanthropies, non-profits, and private sector partners that can help unlock investment and accelerate delivery. From compact delivery and monitoring units that help governments implement national energy plans to distributed renewable energy and productive-use programmes, our focus is on ensuring that new electricity connections translate into durable economic opportunity for people and communities across Africa.”
Mission 300 supports countries through technical assistance, investment programmes, and private-sector mobilisation. The initiative currently works in 23 countries, including Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
Since its launch in April 2024, it was learnt that Mission 300 has connected around 44 million people to electricity, with tens of millions more expected by the end of 2026. The statement noted that nearly 730 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for about 85 per cent of those without power.
The Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance said their support includes technical assistance for national energy units, clean cooking initiatives, financing facilities for energy-efficient appliances, and investments in renewable energy projects to expand off-grid electricity access.
