The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched the next stage of the Mission 300 initiative, which is a joint AfDB-World Bank programme to connect 300-million Africans with electricity by 2030. This latest stage is designated AESTAP Mission 300 Phase II. It is a $3.9-million technical assistance project, which directly builds upon the $1-million AESTAP Mission 300 Phase I, which was launched in December.

Phase II of the programme will benefit 13 countries, namely Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. It will assist these countries to implement their National Energy Compacts, which are national plans to expand electricity access, attract investment and reinforce power sectors in each of the participating countries. (Dozens of African countries have developed such compacts.)

“Countries have made bold commitments through their energy compacts,” highlighted AfDB Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation director Wale Shonibare. “Now, through AESTAP Mission 300 Phase II, we are helping them implement those commitments so that more households, entrepreneurs, and communities actually get electricity.”

The programme has strong political support and pledges from development partners. Phase II will allow these 13 countries to move from documented plans to the actual connection of electricity to businesses and homes, hospitals and schools.

More precisely, Phase II of AESTAP Mission 300 will assist governments to improve their planning, electricity regulations and tariffs, to allow investments to proceed, as well as ensure better research, data and learning across the respective countries by means of instruments such as regional energy forums and the Electricity Regulatory Index. It will also reinforce utilities, so that they can deliver power more reliably and with fewer losses, and put experts, in advisory roles, within the various national energy Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs).

These CDMUs were created under AESTAP Mission 300 Phase I. They are situated within the governments concerned and coordinate their energy reforms and keep track of their progress. Under Phase I, assistance was provided to train the personnel of these units, establish monitoring tools, and assist governments to plan their next moves.