AFRICA ENERGY SUMMIT: LEADERS COMMIT TO UNIVERSAL ENERGY ACCESS BY 20230

By Kelvin N. Kanje, Dar es Salaam - African leaders, development partners, and private sector stakeholders have pledged to accelerate efforts to provide universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy across the continent by 2030. The commitments were made during the Africa Energy Summit, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, under the theme Mission 300, which aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity within the next five years.

The summit, hosted by Tanzanian President H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, brought together heads of state, international organisations, and private sector leaders to address Africa’s energy deficit. Currently, 571 million Africans lack access to electricity, representing 83% of the global energy gap. Additionally, over 1 billion people on the continent lack access to clean cooking solutions, posing significant health, environmental, and economic challenges.

In her opening address, President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan emphasized the urgency of collective action to tackle Africa’s energy crisis. She highlighted that while Southeast Asia has achieved a 96.6% electrification rate, Africa’s rate remains below 50%. Without intervention, 545 million Africans could still be without electricity by 2030.

“This summit is not just about energy access; it is about empowering families, lifting millions out of poverty, and creating opportunities for our youth,” President Dr. Samia stated. She called for increased investment in infrastructure, from power generation to last-mile connectivity, and urged African nations to adopt a unified roadmap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of universal energy access.

Tanzania, one of 12 countries launching a National Energy Compact, aims to increase its electrification rate to 75% by 2030. The country plans to invest $13 billion, with $5 billion coming from the private sector, to expand energy production, improve regional power trade, and provide clean cooking solutions.

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), outlined the progress made under the New Deal for Energy for Africa, which has increased electricity access from 39% in 2015 to 52% in 2024. However, he stressed that more decisive action is needed to achieve universal access.

“Mission 300 has grown into a global movement,” Dr. Adesina said, referring to the initiative to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. The AfDB and the World Bank have committed $40 billion to the mission, with additional support from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Islamic Development Bank, and other partners.

The initiative will focus on expanding renewable energy, improving utility performance, and promoting private sector involvement in mini-grid and off-grid solutions. Dr. Adesina also highlighted the AfDB’s Desert to Power program, which aims to generate 10,000 megawatts of solar energy across 11 Sahelian countries, providing electricity to 250 million people.

Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, emphasized the necessity of collaboration in achieving Africa’s energy goals. “To succeed, we must all embrace a simple truth: ‘no one can do it alone.’ Governments cannot do it alone, businesses cannot do it alone, philanthropists cannot do it alone, development banks cannot do it alone, but together we can. Only through collaboration can we achieve this idea of making it possible,” Banga stated.

Both President Dr. Samia and Dr. Adesina emphasized the critical role of the private sector in achieving the summit’s goals. They called for policy reforms, transparent procurement processes, and innovative financing mechanisms to create a favorable investment environment.

“We must open more space for the private sector to drive innovation and expand energy access,” Dr. Adesina said. He also urged African leaders to take personal responsibility for implementing national energy compacts and ensuring the success of Mission 300.

The summit concluded with the adoption of the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, which outlines a clear action plan for achieving universal energy access. Leaders expressed confidence that the commitments made during the summit would transform Africa’s energy landscape and empower future generations.

“Together, we can light up Africa,” President Dr. Samia declared.

As the summit ended, development partners announced additional funding, including $2.5 billion from the Islamic Development Bank, $1.5 billion from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and $2 billion from the OPEC Fund. These pledges underscore the global support for Africa’s energy transformation.

With just five years to meet the 2030 target, the Africa Energy Summit has set the stage for a historic push to ensure that no African is left in the dark.