Around 600mn people in Africa—roughly 43% of the continent’s population — still lack access to electricity.

While electrification rates have improved over the past decade (from about 40% in 2010 to around 57% in 2024), sub-Saharan Africa remains the least electrified region in the world, and population growth is offsetting progress in many African countries.

As a result of this, small businesses, farms, and industries in Africa struggle either to operate or expand without reliable power. Consequently, the much-needed job creation and manufacturing are severely limited. International multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and the World Health Organisation say hospitals and clinics in Africa cannot run critical equipment such as ventilators, incubators, cold storage for vaccines either due to the non-availability or interrupted power supply in the continent.

Lack of reliable, affordable power in the continent has been cited as a major reason for higher child mortality and reduced life expectancy in Africa. Shortage of electricity blocks internet access and mobile connectivity in Africa, excluding millions from modern communications, e-commerce, and financial services.

Household hardships due to energy poverty in Africa are inexplicable, global agencies say. In Africa, millions of families have to rely either on kerosene or firewood for lighting and cooking, leading to indoor air pollution and respiratory illnesses.

Another challenge is that high costs for alternative energy sources trap many in poverty in Africa. Recently, some 17 African governments committed to reforms and actionable plans to expand electricity access as part of ‘Mission 300’ —an ambitious partnership led by the World Bank Group and African Development Bank Group that aims to connect 300mn Africans to electricity by 2030.

At the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum, ‘National Energy Compacts—practical blueprints that guide public spending, trigger reforms, and attract private capital’—were endorsed by Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Principe, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

“Electricity is the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga.

“That’s why Mission 300 is more than a target—it is forging enduring reforms that slash costs, strengthen utilities, and draw in private investment.”

Since the launch of Mission 300, 30mn people have already been connected, with more than 100mn in the pipeline.

“Reliable, affordable power is the fastest multiplier for small and medium enterprises, agro-processing, digital work, and industrial value-addition,” said African Development Bank Group President Dr. Sidi Ould Tah.

“Give a young entrepreneur power, and you’ve given them a paycheck.”

National Energy Compacts are at the core of Mission 300, developed and endorsed by governments with technical support from development partners. Tailored to each country’s context, these practical blueprints integrate three core tracks—infrastructure, financing, and policy.

Earlier this year, Energy Compacts were endorsed by Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia—together pledging to make more than 400 policy actions to strengthen utilities, reduce investor risk, and remove bottlenecks.

The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group are working with partners including the Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme (ESMAP) trust fund to align efforts in support of powering Africa.

Many development partners and development finance institutions are also supporting Mission 300 projects through co-financing and technical assistance. By unlocking Africa’s vast renewable resources, strengthening regional interconnections, the continent aims to foster inclusive growth domestically and propel its collective momentum toward ending energy poverty. Undoubtedly, universal energy access is key to empowering businesses, reducing poverty, and creating equal opportunities in Africa.

Obviously, this goal can be achieved only through strong government–private sector partnerships, supported by an enabling environment for sustainable investment in Africa.