The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and The Rockefeller Foundation have announced a new initiative to advance energy access in Africa.

The initiative unveils 23 energy projects across 11 countries and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

A statement made available to The PUNCH disclosed that these projects, funded through a $10m joint commitment, are part of the Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million people across Africa by 2030.

The announcement was reportedly made during the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, where the two organisations highlighted their ongoing efforts to support the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank in achieving this ambitious goal.

It was said that the Mission 300 initiative focuses on overcoming bureaucratic barriers and accelerating electricity access across the continent.

“The Rockefeller Foundation created the Mission 300 Accelerator to demonstrate how philanthropy can break through bureaucratic obstacles to jumpstart World Bank and African Development Bank energy projects. In just a few short months, we have worked with the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Sustainable Energy for All, and the banks to advance two dozen projects, putting us on track to bring reliable electricity to 300 million people across Africa at unprecedented speed,” said the Chief Executive of the Mission 300 Accelerator, Andrew Herscowitz.

According to the statement, Africa currently has an average electrification rate of 50 per cent and is home to approximately 600 million people without access to reliable electricity.

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