African Development Bank And SEforALL Launch New Initiative In Nairobi To Accelerate Africa’s Mission 300 Electrification Goals

At a recent convening of the Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs) in Nairobi, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) announced a new initiative aimed at strengthening the implementation of large-scale electrification efforts across Africa. The initiative has been launched under the Africa Energy Sector Technical Assistance Program (AESTAP–Mission 300 Phase I) and is designed to support one of the continent’s most ambitious energy access goals.

The program is directly linked to Mission 300, a joint commitment by the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group to provide electricity access to an additional 300 million people in Africa by the year 2030. This initiative reflects the scale of the challenge facing the continent, where millions of people still lack access to reliable and affordable electricity, and where expanding energy access is seen as essential for economic development, industrial growth, and improved living standards.

Under AESTAP–Mission 300 Phase I, the African Development Bank Group will provide targeted technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units established in participating countries. These units serve as national coordination platforms responsible for implementing energy compacts, aligning stakeholders, tracking progress, and ensuring that agreed energy access targets are met.

By reinforcing these structures, the program aims to improve how countries plan, coordinate, and deliver electrification projects on the ground.SEforALL will serve as the implementing partner for the initiative over the next 12 months, playing a central role in execution and coordination. Its responsibilities include facilitating monitoring frameworks, organizing peer-to-peer exchanges between countries, coordinating stakeholders, and supporting knowledge sharing across participating nations.

These efforts are intended to accelerate the implementation of National Energy Compacts by improving communication, consistency, and operational efficiency across different country programs.The initiative builds on SEforALL’s existing role as the Secretariat for both the Mission 300 Joint Working Group and the Compact Working Group.

Over the past two years, these coordination mechanisms have supported the development and rollout of National Energy Compacts in 30 participating countries. Through this work, SEforALL has been involved in technical engagement, progress tracking, and ensuring alignment between governments, development partners, and other stakeholders involved in energy access initiatives.The Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units play a critical role in this ecosystem.

As national delivery hubs, they are responsible for coordinating across multiple government ministries and agencies, monitoring progress against compact commitments, facilitating engagement with development partners and private sector stakeholders, and identifying and addressing implementation challenges. Their effectiveness is considered essential to ensuring that energy access plans move from policy commitments to actual infrastructure development and service delivery.

By strengthening these units, the AESTAP–Mission 300 Phase I program seeks to enhance institutional capacity at the country level. Improved coordination and monitoring are expected to accelerate reforms, reduce delays in project implementation, and improve the ability of governments to attract and manage investment in energy infrastructure. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that national energy strategies are implemented more efficiently and that progress toward universal electricity access is accelerated.

Representatives from both AfDB and SEforALL emphasized the importance of delivery-focused, country-led approaches in achieving Mission 300’s objectives. They highlighted that while funding and high-level commitments are essential, the success of electrification efforts depends heavily on strong national institutions capable of coordinating complex energy programs and ensuring that projects are executed effectively.

According to Wale Shonibare, Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation at the African Development Bank Group, Mission 300 is fundamentally focused on turning ambition into measurable results at scale. He noted that strengthening government delivery capacity and improving coordination mechanisms are key to achieving universal energy access, and that the new program will play an important role in supporting these efforts across participating countries.

Similarly, Lolade Abiola, Chief of Staff at Sustainable Energy for All, highlighted SEforALL’s role as the Secretariat supporting Mission 300’s operational and coordination frameworks. She emphasized that the organization is responsible for supporting strategic planning, performance monitoring, and technical assistance for national delivery units. She also welcomed the new initiative as a way to further enhance the effectiveness of CDMUs in tracking progress and driving implementation of national energy compacts.

To date, Mission 300 has already enabled electricity access for more than 50 million people across Africa. With additional projects in the pipeline, the initiative is expected to reach tens of millions more households by the end of 2026. Thirty countries have already launched National Energy Compacts that outline specific targets, reforms, and investment priorities aimed at expanding access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy by 2030. As implementation continues, strengthening institutional capacity at the national level will remain central to achieving these long-term goals.