Around 600 million Africans — roughly half of the continent’s population — still lack access to electricity, a number that has climbed in recent years as population growth outpaces new connections.
This has far-reaching consequences: it stifles industrial growth; curtails economic productivity; poses challenges for the provision of health care; and the reliance on dirty fuels is bad for public health. Overall, electricity shortages cost Africa up to 4% of its gross domestic product per year.
An ambitious new plan aims to change that: Mission 300, an initiative to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030. Spearheaded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, it commits to doubling investments in African power, expanding electricity production, and pushing key policy reforms.