The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a USD 3.9 million, two-year technical assistance project to support African countries in implementing their National Energy Compacts under Mission 300, the AfDB–World Bank initiative aimed at connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. The project, known as AESTAP Mission 300 Phase …
AfDB approves $3.9m to fast-track national energy compacts in Africa
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a USD 3.9 million, two-year technical assistance project to support African countries in implementing their National Energy Compacts under Mission 300, the AfDB–World Bank initiative aimed at connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
The project, known as AESTAP Mission 300 Phase II, will provide direct technical support to 13 countries—Chad, Gabon, Tanzania, Mauritania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Madagascar, Ethiopia, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, and Uganda—over the next 24 months.
Energy Compacts are national plans through which governments outline strategies to expand electricity access, strengthen power sector performance, and attract investment.
While many African countries have launched these compacts with strong political backing, the new AfDB-supported project is designed to help translate plans into actual electricity connections for households, schools, hospitals, and businesses.
Under Phase II, the project will support reforms to electricity regulations, planning, and tariffs; strengthen utilities to improve reliability and reduce losses; enhance sector data and learning through tools such as the Electricity Regulatory Index; and deploy expert advisers within national Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs) to coordinate reforms and track progress.
According to Wale Shonibare, Director of Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation at the AfDB, the project will help countries move from commitments to results by ensuring that “more households, entrepreneurs, and communities actually get electricity.”
AESTAP Mission 300 Phase II builds on Phase I, approved in December 2025, which provided about USD 1 million to help countries establish and strengthen their CDMUs.
The new phase focuses on implementing planned reforms and will be carried out in coordination with Mission 300 partners, including the World Bank, governments, and development organizations.
