Mission 300’s June Electricity Milestone Puts Tanzania’s Access Gains in Focus

30 October 2026

By inAfrika Newsroom

The World Bank Group and African Development Bank Group reported in June 2026 that Mission 300 had brought electricity access to more than 50 million people across 40 African countries. Tanzania accounted for 7.5 million of the people reported to have gained access under the initiative.

The figures were issued by the banks on 16 June and circulated in a 17 June release from Cape Town. They represent a progress report at that point in the programme, rather than a new October connection count. Mission 300’s wider goal is to provide first-time electricity access to an additional 300 million people by 2030.

According to the banks, the work combines investment in generation, transmission and last-mile distribution with both grid and off-grid connections. The initiative also links financing to government reforms intended to make projects easier to implement and electricity services more accessible.

The June statement described Tanzania’s pace of electrification as five times the average annual pace before the initiative. It also reported access gains for 4.6 million people in Ethiopia and more than 4.5 million people through private-sector-led initiatives in Nigeria. These are people gaining access, not counts of newly constructed power plants.

The two development banks said they had committed nearly USD 15 billion to related projects and attracted approximately USD 4.5 billion in co-financing. Additional partners had pledged more than USD 7 billion for Africa’s energy sector. Commitments, co-financing and broader sector pledges are distinct categories and should not be presented as one fully disbursed programme total.

The announcement also said 30 countries had launched National Energy Compacts: government-led plans covering sector reforms, investment priorities and access goals. That was the position reported in June and is not presented here as the current number of participating countries.

For households and enterprises, a connection can support lighting, refrigeration, irrigation and other productive uses. Its value also depends on affordability, service reliability and the equipment customers can operate. The reported access milestone therefore provides one measure of progress, while sustained service quality and the remaining 2030 target require continued delivery.

Source: African Development Bank Group and World Bank Group, release circulated 17 June 2026. Joint banks’ announcement issued 16 June 2026; newsroom release circulated 17 June 2026.

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