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    One year in, Mission 300 tests what it takes to power Africa

    An ambitious plan to bring electricity to 300 million Africans is gaining momentum just as the dismantling of USAID spells the demise of another U.S.-led initiative with some of the same goals.

    By Ayenat Mersie // 24 April 2025

    As global finance leaders gather for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund Spring Meetings this week, Mission 300 — an ambitious plan to bring electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030 — is drawing renewed attention from policymakers, development experts, and financiers tracking Africa’s energy future.

    One year after its launch at last year’s Spring Meetings, the initiative is gaining momentum, even as questions persist about its strategy, financing, and feasibility.

    Spearheaded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, the initiative pledges to double investments in African power systems, implement key policy reforms, and deliver both grid-based and off-grid electricity access. The World Bank is putting between $30 billion and $40 billion behind it, while the African Development Bank is adding $18.2 billion. Some 600 million people in Africa, or roughly half the continent’s population, lack access to electricity.

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    More reading:

    ► Half of Africans don’t have electricity. Can Mission 300 change that? (Pro)

    ► How a quantum leap is needed to bring energy to 300 million Africans

    ► World Bank, AfDB aim to bring electricity to 300 million Africans

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    About the author

    • Ayenat Mersie

      Ayenat Mersie

      Ayenat Mersie is a Global Development Reporter for Devex. Previously, she worked as a freelance journalist for publications such as National Geographic and Foreign Policy and as an East Africa correspondent for Reuters.

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