Tanzania, Nigeria, and Ethiopia have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of a major World Bank-backed electrification drive across Africa, helping to connect more than 50 million people to electricity in less than three years, an analysis of the Mission 300 Progress Report obtained by our correspondent has shown.
The report, which tracks electricity connections delivered through World Bank Group-financed operations between July 1, 2023, and April 30, 2026, revealed that 40 African countries have benefited from 85 electricity access projects, bringing power to homes, businesses, schools, and health facilities across the continent.
However, the report also exposed persistent gaps in Africa’s electrification efforts, showing that eight countries are yet to record a single new electricity connection under the programme despite ongoing or approved projects.
The Mission 300 initiative, backed by the World Bank Group and other development partners, seeks to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030, tackling one of the continent’s most pressing development challenges.
“In Tanzania, for example, 7.5 million people have gained access to power under Mission 300, a five-fold increase in the average annual pace of electrification prior to the initiative, driven by increased financing and growing policy momentum.”
