Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – January 28, 2025
Civil Society groups from across Africa have called for an inclusive pathway for empowering Africa’s energy needs.
The call was issued after the meeting of the non-state actors which held at the sidelines of the Africa Heads of State Energy Summit from 27-28th January 2025 in Dar es Salaam.
The meeting, which sought to deliberate on reforms, investments, and innovations necessary to achieve universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, focused on aligning the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration with the principles of justice, equity, and sustainability.
Hosted by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA), Shine Collab, Forum CC and a host of other groups, the meeting spotlighted Mission 300, a World Bank and African Development Bank initiative to provide electricity to 300 million people in Africa by 2030 through a combination of grid extension, off- and mini-grid solutions, and innovative financing.
Mission 300 aim to address a stark reality of energy poverty in Africa. The reality that 630 million people are without access to electricity, and 800 million rely on traditional biomass for cooking, exacerbating health risks, environmental degradation, and gender inequities.
Participants expressed diverse views regarding the first Summit of the Initiative, among them the role of the last-mile communities, as well as the traditional role of the civil society in monitoring commitments and holding governments and Private Sector accountable.
African civil society groups at the meeting agreed that in its current form, the Mission 300 lacks inclusivity, and may fall in the trap of other exciting energy initiatives which came with lofty promises but ended in the catalogue of “promising but failed Projects”.
They particularly underscored the important role of the civil society, and urged the African Development Bank, which feels closer to the African people, to ensure that the World Bank opens up for broader stakeholder engagement in the Mission 300 architecture.
Participants also took cognisance of the Six30 Campaign launched in April 2024, which, like Mission 300, offers a Pan-African Framework for addressing Africa’s energy access deficit.
The Campaign is a rallying cry for global solidarity, urging public and private donors to make Mission 300 deliver a just and inclusive energy future for Africa through substantial increase in funding and investments in renewable energy projects across the continent to $630 billion and prioritise access for 630 million people by 2030.
The Six30 Campaign frames energy access as an issue of justice, recognising that systemic inequities in governance and global financial flows, rather than technical or financial limitations, are the primary barriers.
By prioritising renewable energy, decentralisation, and community ownership, the Six30 Campaign provides a clear framework for Mission 300 to align its objectives with Africa’s broader socio-economic and climate resilience goals.
According to Dr Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director of PACJA, African civil society groups reckon that while Mission 300’s ambition is laudable, its success, however, hinges on addressing systemic challenges that have long hindered Africa’s access to energy.
“Consequently, African civil society organisations have proffered a set of recommendations to ensure Mission 300 becomes a catalyst for equitable, sustainable, and transformative change,” Dr Mwenda added.
The recommendations range from ensuring Transparency, Accountability, and Debt Sustainability, leveraging Africa’s Critical Minerals for Value Addition, adopting Decentralised, Community-Cantered Energy Solutions, and capping Energy Tariffs and addressing Connection Costs.
Other recommendations include placing Communities at the Heart of Energy Projects, committing to Renewable Energy and Youth Employment, championing African Leadership and Ownership, safeguarding Equity in Energy Access, and integrate Sustainable Development and Gender Principles.
The African civil society actors at the meeting reaffirmed their commitment to supporting African governments and international partners in achieving Mission 300’s goals. The initiative, they say, must be guided by equity, justice, and sustainability principles to truly transform Africa’s energy future.
“By aligning with frameworks like the Six30 Campaign, Mission 300 can become a cornerstone of Africa’s just transition, ensuring no community is left behind,” they added.
