Twelve African countries signed energy compacts during the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, held in Tanzania this week, signalling their intent to accelerate the pace of access to electricity and clean cooking solutions, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

The African countries have made commitments during the two-day meeting organised by the government of Tanzania to implement clean cooking energy solutions to offset the negative effects of open fire cooking.

Mission 300 is a collaboration between development finance institutions the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, the World Bank Group and other global partners to address Africa’s electricity access gap through the use of new technology and innovative financing.

While 600-million Africans live without access to electricity, one-billion are without access to clean cooking, and rely on biomass fuels such as wood and charcoal, which has negative economic, social and environmental impacts, with an estimated cost across the continent of $790-billion a year, noted African Energy Commission executive director Rashid Abdallah.

Special envoy to the President of Tanzania Dr Richard Muyungi, reflecting on Tanzania's experience in launching a comprehensive National Clean Cooking Strategy, emphasised the importance of high-level political commitment, coordinated stakeholder engagement and the integration of private-sector participation for the success of such initiatives.

Tanzania is on track to transition 80% of its population to clean cooking technologies by 2034, owing to the efforts of Tanzanian President Suluhu Hassan, Muyungi said.

“It is important to elevate it to the highest level and she is the champion of clean cooking who has brought the issue to the highest level of African governments,” he said.

Tanzania published its 2024 to 2034 clean cooking strategy last year in response to its own challenges, with an estimated 3 000 people dying a year and 400 ha of deforestation a year from the use of charcoal and firewood.

Championed by Hassan, the Clean Cooking agenda has embraced everyone and is part of the national agenda.

This discussion has highlighted the innovative approaches and the political will required to transform the lives of millions of Africans and secure a sustainable future for the continent, Muyungi said.

The AfDB Group has pledged $2-billion over ten years towards clean cooking solutions in Africa. The pledge represents an important contribution to the $4-billion a year needed to allow African families to have access to clean cooking by 2030.

“Africa must develop with dignity, and with pride. Its women, its population must have access to clean energy solutions,” said AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina.