Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank Group, has called for urgent action on electrification for Africa to drive its development.

He made the call at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit on Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

“I want to begin by thanking His Excellency President Zulu Aznani for hosting us in this beautiful country of Tanzania and everyone here for joining this global mission to ensure Africa has the electricity it needs to power itself,”  Mr Adesina said.

He highlighted Africa’s pressing energy challenges, stating, “This continent loses three to four per cent of its GDP annually due to the lack of electricity. Over 571 million Africans remain without access to electricity, accounting for 83 per cent of the global population living without it. This must change.”

Mr Adesina underscored the need for collaboration among governments, private sector players, civil society, and development partners to address Africa’s energy crisis.

He urged African governments to lead by example, calling for increased investments in power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure.

The Mission 300 initiative, a partnership spearheaded by the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and key global stakeholders, aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

As part of this mission, energy compacts are being signed with 12 countries to ensure access for 145 million people. Mr Adesina highlighted the importance of accountability, stating, “This is not a talking summit. It’s about delivering megawatts of power, not megawatts of talk.”

On the private sector’s role and investment climate, Mr Adesina acknowledged the private sector’s critical role in achieving energy goals, emphasising the importance of creating a conducive regulatory environment.

The AfDB boss reaffirmed the bank’s and its partners’ commitment, urging all stakeholders to work together to make Mission 300 a success.

(NAN)