On September 4, 2025, the World Bank convened a virtual Civil Society Energy Dialogue to discuss Mission 300, the ambitious initiative launched in 2024 to connect 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030. With nearly 600 million Africans still without power, Mission 300 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lift millions out of energy poverty. Yet, as Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)-including the ACCESS Coalition-emphasized during the Dialogue, the initiative will only succeed if communities are placed at the centre of its design, financing, and implementation.

Earlier this year, African leaders endorsed the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit and launched National Energy Compacts outlining policy reforms and investment priorities. The World Bank and its partners have since pledged more than $50 billion, with total financing needs estimated at $90 billion. While these commitments are significant, CSOs warned that without strong community engagement and accountability, the impact will remain limited.

The Dialogue featured World Bank officials Franz R. Drees-Gross , the Director of Infrastructure in the World Bank’s Africa West region and Mariia Melnyk, Energy Portfolio Monitoring Specialist, who presented progress updates. Civil society representatives responded with a clear message: large-scale grid expansion is necessary but not sufficient. To truly deliver energy for all, Mission 300 must prioritize decentralized renewable energy (DRE), clean cooking solutions, and resilient systems tailored to the realities of marginalized communities.

The ACCESS Coalition, a global network of over 100 organizations committed to a socially just energy transition, called on the World Bank, governments, and development partners to prioritize the following actions under Mission 300:

  • Significantly scale up finance for electricity and clean cooking access through a dedicated facility, with a focus on countries with the highest deficits.
  • Align financing instruments with the needs of poor and last-mile communities, by expanding investment in decentralized renewable energy, eCooking, and inclusive financing models such as energy safety nets.
  • Scale up support for e-cooking as a cornerstone of a fossil-free transition, pairing infrastructure investments (grid modernization, off-grid solar, mini-grids) with targeted subsidies, awareness campaigns, and private sector partnerships.
  • Invest in cross-sectoral energy service planning that integrates energy with health, education, agriculture, and economic development, supported by access to finance and training.
  • Ensure transparency and accountability for all Mission 300 investments, including institutionalized CSO participation in design, implementation, and monitoring at both national and global levels.
  • Currently, ACCESS, together with partners such as the Vasudha Foundation and Loughborough University’s STEER Centre, is also developing an Africa Energy Finance Tracker to enhance access to data on MDB investments and strengthen public accountability.

“Mission 300 represents an unprecedented opportunity, but it will only succeed if it is built with the full participation of communities. People must have a voice in shaping the solutions, and financing must be transparent, inclusive, and responsive to local realities.” Says Patricia Mbogo, Executive Director of ACCESS Coalition.

The urgency is clear. Africa’s power systems already lose an estimated $1.5 billion annually to climate-related disruptions, while every 1 percent increase in outages reduces productivity by 3.5 percent across 23 countries. These figures underscore that Mission 300 cannot be treated as a top-down infrastructure drive-it must be rooted in resilience, equity, and local ownership.

“For Mission 300 to deliver lasting transformation, the commitment to put people at the centre must guide every step forward.” Adds Wentland Muhatiah, Senior Advocacy and Policy Research Officer at ACCESS.

Read ACCESS Coalition’s Position Statement issued in January 2025 when the Mission 300 was officially launched: https://shorturl.at/o3BeT