The World Bank has announced an ambitious plan to provide affordable electricity to 250 million people across Africa by 2030. In partnership, the African Development Bank will bring electricity to an additional 50 million people.
The 300 million target was announced by World Bank President Ajay Banga during an event at the institution’s Washington headquarters offices during the Spring Meetings on Wednesday. It marks a major step up from Banga’s previous pledge, made in December, to allocate $5 billion to connect 100 million people in Africa to power by the end of the decade.
All-new power generation will come from renewable energy sources, such as solar PV, hydro, and wind, and the bank will work to help countries still reliant on fossil fuels to “green” their electricity production, a senior bank staff member said during a press briefing earlier in the week.
About the author
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.
