The African Union (AU) in mid-February endorsed the Dar Es Salaam Energy Declaration, signed by 48 nations in support of the Mission 300 initiative, which aims to extend electricity access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030.

The AU approved the declaration at its 38th summit, which was held in mid-February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and brought together heads of state and government from all 55 AU member states, alongside leaders from international organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector.

The Dar Es Salaam Energy Declaration outlines commitments and practical actions from African governments to reform their energy sectors and was signed at the Africa Energy Summit held in late January in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

The declaration represents a key milestone in addressing the energy gap in Africa, where more than 600 million people currently live without electricity. The commitments outlined are a critical component of the Mission 300 initiative, which looks to mobilise energy and resources to increase power access by 2030 through national compacts implemented by governments with the support of technical and financial partners, as well as private investors.

Mission 300 is being jointly rolled out by the African Development Bank (AfDB), World Bank, Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), as well as other global partners including the AU, UN and regional development banks. The World Bank and AfDB have committed US$48 billion for the programme, along with US$7 billion from other development partners.

The Africa Energy Summit saw 12 countries present the first set of national energy compacts, which contain targets to scale up electricity access, increase the use of renewable energy and attract additional private capital. These plans are time-bound and data-led and focus on affordable power generation, expanding connections and regional integration. Deploying satellite and electronic mapping technologies, the compacts identify the most cost-effective solutions to electrify underserved areas.

The 12 compacts are presented in brief below:

Chad
The Chad energy pact looks to provide access to electricity to more than 14 million additional people by 2030, increasing the national access rate to 90% from 11% currently.

The government is also looking to increase the share of renewable energy in the generation mix to 30% from 9% currently while increasing production capacity across the country by 866MW by 2030. This additional capacity is planned to be sourced through 520MW of solar power projects and 346MW of thermal schemes.

Meeting these goals will require US$1.95 billion of funding, with US$650.3 million set to be mobilised through private investments. 

Cote d’Ivoire
The Ivorian government is looking to facilitate power connections for about 17 million additional people by 2030, ensuring universal access compared with 64% in 2023.

The authorities also target a significant uptick in the share of renewable energy in the generation mix from 31% in 2023 to 45% by 2030. This will be achieved through the development of 829MW of hydroelectricity, 399MW of solar and 146MW of biomass.

About US$15 billion of financing will be needed to achieve the objectives of the energy pact, of which US$6.6 billion remains to be financed. The private sector is expected to mobilise about US$2 billion of this funding.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The DRC’s national energy compact looks to lift the rate of access to electricity from 21.5% in 2024 to 62% by 2030, electrifying about 60 million people. The government is also looking to increase installed production capacity from 3,067MW currently to 13,576MW by 2030.

The share of renewable energy in the production mix is planned to be maintained at 95%, with production expected to double by 2030 and quintuple by 2040.

Although a member of the Central African Power Pool (CAPP), the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and the East African Power Pool (EAPP), the DRC lacks adequate transmission infrastructure and mechanisms to enable electricity trade. The government is therefore planning to sign an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding to develop the Grand Inga hydropower transmission system project to facilitate power trade. The scheme will include cross-border infrastructure supplying power to South Africa mainly as well as transit countries.

In addition, the authorities are set to develop production infrastructure across the country as well as associated energy evacuation corridors, such as the Inga-Bunia corridor, which will subsequently be connected to the Grand Inga project. The Inga-Bunia scheme will serve as a backbone for energy transport between the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) and the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP).

Other planned projects set out in the DRC compact include the development of 4,000MW of solar schemes by the private sector.

The government aims to mobilise a total of about US$37 billion to meet the objectives of the compact, with about US$17 billion to be sourced from the public sector and US$20 billion from the private sector.

Liberia
The government of Liberia is targeting an access rate of 75% by 2030 from the current 32.7%. This will mean 100,000 households will be connected through grid and off-grid options each year compared with the current annual rate of 70,000 households. Of the 100,000 households, about 60,000 will be electrified via the grid, 15,000 through mini grids, and 25,000 through off-grid/solar home systems.

The government is also committed to increasing the share of renewable energy in the generation mix to 75% from the current 67%. This is planned to be achieved by accelerating the implementation of 172MW of renewables projects.

The compact mentions plans to launch a request for proposals by September 2025 for the development of Liberia’s first utility-scale solar independent power producer (IPP) plant, with the contract to be awarded by December that year. In addition, the government is committed to commencing the procurement process for key contracts on the 150MW Saint Paul 2 hydropower plant expansion project by November 2026. The Mount Coffee hydro facility is also set to be extended by 60MW.

Liberia’s energy compact is expected to require US$1.3 billion in financing, including about US$150 million from the private sector.

Madagascar
Madagascar’s government is targeting an increase in access to electricity to 80% from the current 36%, meaning an average of 2.2 million people gaining access every year up to 2030.

Renewable energy capacity is set to grow by 893MW by 2030, with 560MW of this to come from solar projects by 2028. The government has committed to continuing efforts to hybridise all thermal power plants in the short term and to collaborate with the private sector to accelerate renewables projects, including investments in the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, facilitated by rigorous interconnection policies.

The authorities are looking to mobilise US$7.2 billion in financing to meet the objectives of the energy compact, with 10% of this to come from state coffers, 30% from loans and grants from development partners, and 60% from the private sector. 

Malawi
By 2030, Malawi aims to increase electricity access from the current 25.9% to 70%. This will require a total additional 1.15 million on-grid and 1.55 million off-grid connections.

The compact envisages expanding installed generation capacity by 848MW through a combination of generation technologies, with the private sector expected to facilitate 714MW of this total.

The government is also looking to expand the national grid through the addition of 22,417km of distribution line, 1,940km of transmission line and the upgrading of substations to meet increasing demand. The country’s grid will need to generate at least 5,166GWh by 2030 to meet annual demand.

The authorities will also prioritise regional interconnectors with Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania to enhance power trade, strengthen the national grid and provide an opportunity for exporting power, leading to Malawi becoming an active member within SAPP and EAPP.

The government also aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix from 90% currently to 96% by 2030.

Malawi’s energy compact will require total financing of US$5.5 billion, with about US$5 billion yet to be sourced. The private sector is set to contribute US$2.5 billion of this total.

Mauritania
Mauritania’s national energy compact aims to provide access to electricity to 3.4 million additional people by 2030, ensuring universal access, compared with 55% currently. There is a significant disparity in access rates between rural and urban areas, which stand at 6% and 91% respectively.

The government is looking to improve power transmission networks by 2030, increasing the length of high-tension (HT) lines from 1,950km to nearly 4,500km and low and medium-voltage (LV/MV) lines from 5,450km to more than 10,000km.

The authorities are also planning to increase the share of renewable energy in the generation mix from 44.4% currently to 70% by 2030. The commercial development potential of Mauritania’s solar photovoltaic (PV) resources is estimated at around 450GW and wind at 50GW.

Meeting the overall energy compact’s objectives is estimated to require US$2.5 billion in financing, with US$1.2 billion of this to come from the private sector.

Niger
Niger’s government plans to ensure 60% access to power by 2030, meaning more than 2 million households will be electrified. The country has one of the lowest access rates in Africa, estimated at 20.8% in 2023.

The targeted electrification is set to be carried out via the densification and extension of the existing grid, seen as the least costly option to reach 76% of the population to be connected, followed by the deployment of autonomous solar systems to reach 22% and mini grids 2%.

Meanwhile, the government is planning to invite private participation in the development of renewable energy in order to achieve a 30% share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030. The renewables schemes planned include a project comprising solar PV with storage in two phases – a 70MW plant in Bangoula planned for 2027 at a cost of US$92 million and an 80MW facility in Zabori planned for 2030 for a value of US$104 million. In addition, 148MW of wind power is expected to become operational by 2030 at the 250MW Tarka park, at a cost of US$239 million.

Meeting the compact’s objectives will require investments of about US$760 million, of which US$527 million is to be sourced from the private sector.

Nigeria
The government of Nigeria is aiming to accelerate the pace of access to electricity from 4% to 9% a year to achieve universal access by 2030. This will be achieved through last-mile electrification.

The government is also committed to increasing the share of renewable energy in the generation mix from 22% to 50%.

Nigeria is said to have the most significant electricity access deficit in absolute terms in the world, with 61% of the population having access to electricity as of 2022, leaving more than 86 million people without access.

The government is looking to mobilise US$23.2 billion in financing for last-mile electrification, including US$15.5 billion from the private sector.

Senegal
The government of Senegal targets universal access to electricity by 2029 from the current 84%, which will see an additional 6.6 million people being connected. The authorities are also looking to increase the share of renewable power in the generation mix from 29% in 2024 to 40% by 2030.

The development of renewable energies and the replacement of heavy fuel oil-based power production with gas is seen as the lowest-cost strategy to improve Senegal’s electricity sector. According to the government, between US$4.8 billion and US$5.8 billion will be needed in the short and medium term to finance this transition, including building infrastructure to transport gas to power plants and converting oil-fuelled power plants to gas. Meanwhile, US$937.4 million is required to be invested in the country’s distribution network to achieve universal access.

The overall financing needed to achieve the compact’s objectives is estimated at US$6.3 billion, of which US$4.6 billion remains to be sourced. The private sector is expected to contribute US$2.3 billion.  

Tanzania
The government of Tanzania is aiming to expand electricity connectivity to an additional 8.3 million households by 2030, raising the access rate from 46% in 2022 to 75% in 2030. The focus will be on rural electrification and connecting underserved areas through grid and off-grid solutions.

To meet the investment needs in transmission, the authorities have committed to undertaking a pilot independent power transmission project by 2027 and adopting the framework for future investments by 2028.

The government is also looking to increase the share of renewable energy in the generation mix from the current 61.8% to 75%. This will require the addition of 1,973MW of capacity, with 463MW of solar, 500MW of wind, 130MW of geothermal and 880MW of large hydro schemes planned. These projects are envisaged to require an estimated investment of US$4.1 billion.

Tanzania’s compact is estimated to require an overall US$12.9 billion in financing, of which about US$4 billion is to be sourced from the private sector. 

Zambia
Zambia’s energy compact outlines plans to ensure universal access by 2030 from the current 47.8%, which means connecting an additional 26 million people. This will include doubling annual on-grid connections from 60,000 in 2022 to 120,000 by 2030 to achieve universal access. In addition, Zambia’s Least-Cost Geospatial Electrification Plan for Grid and Off-Grid Rollout estimates that up to 72% of the population could be connected to off-grid electricity as the least-cost option to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030.

The government is also targeting the addition of 6,200MW of installed capacity by 2030 (at a cost of US$7.2 billion) with 90% coming from renewable energy sources. Moreover, the government plans to increase the aggregated cross-border interconnection capacity between Zambia and its neighbours from 2,090MW in 2023 to 4,050MW by 2030 through the implementation of seven additional interconnection schemes.

Zambia’s installed generation capacity is 3,811MW, with hydro contributing 83% of this total. Despite the installed capacity exceeding the peak demand of about 2,500MW, actual power generation had declined to 1,019MW as of August 2024, exacerbated by the current drought. The government thus aims to increase the share of non-hydro renewable energy in its generation mix to 33% from the current 3%, with a focus on solar and wind energy. The private sector is expected to be invited to develop 3,000MW of solar capacity by 2030.

Zambia’s energy compact is envisaged to require US$11.9 billion in total investments, with US$9.5 billion expected from the private sector.

“Access to electricity is a fundamental human right," said Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank, at the Africa Energy Summit. "Without it, countries and people cannot thrive. 

"Our mission to provide electricity to half of the 600 million people in Africa without access is a critical first step. To succeed, we must embrace a simple truth: no one can do it alone. Governments, businesses, philanthropies and development banks each have a role, and only through collaboration can we achieve our goal.”  

Top photo: African heads of state and government display copies of the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration at the Africa Energy Summit (Source: AfDB)