Nigeria, Tanzania, and Ethiopia drive Africa’s electrification gains
Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ethiopia have become the leading beneficiaries of a World Bank-backed electrification initiative, connecting over 50 million people to electricity in recent years. The Mission 300 Progress Report highlights the impact of 85 projects across 40 African countries, though some nations have yet to see results. Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, emphasized the broader benefits of electricity access, including jobs, healthcare, and education. The report also notes persistent gaps, with eight countries recording no new connections despite ongoing projects.
TLDR
- The Mission 300 initiative, supported by the World Bank Group, aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
- Tanzania leads with 7.5 million new connections, followed by Ethiopia with 4.67 million and Nigeria with 4.51 million.
- Nigeria’s progress is largely due to off-grid and renewable energy projects, especially the Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up Project.
- Eight countries, including Angola, Senegal, and South Sudan, have not recorded any new electricity connections under the programme.
- Regional projects have also contributed, with West and Central Africa seeing 6.4 million new connections and Eastern and Southern Africa adding 2.6 million.
