AFD, on behalf of France, commits €1 billion to improve electricity access in Africa by 2030

In response to the urgent need to improve electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa, heads of state, development partners, private sector representatives, and civil society representatives are gathering on January 27 and 28, 2025, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for Mission 300: The African Energy Summit. This summit seeks to strengthen international efforts to achieve tangible results in electrification across the region.

Supporting Access to Electricity and Clean Cooking

Historically, access to electricity has always been a strategic and priority focus for the AFD Group. With this new €1 billion commitment, representing a significant increase compared to the recent period, the Group is intensifying its efforts, reaffirming its determination to remain a key partner to African populations. 

This announcement complements the one made in May 2024 regarding clean cooking. AFD is implementing France’s commitment to allocate €100 million by 2030 to support the transition to sustainable cooking methods, a critical challenge as one billion people in Sub-Saharan Africa still rely on traditional and polluting solutions.

Exploring New Solutions with Local Financial Systems

As part of this commitment, AFD Group also aims at exploring a new strategic approach: to mobilize local financial systems, including banks, insurance companies, and microfinance institutions. These actors play a critical role in financing productive activities that drive electricity demand and enhance the viability of energy infrastructure investments.

To develop this dialogue, AFD Group is inviting Mission 300 partners to participate in a dedicated session at the 2025 Finance in Common Summit, which will explore the role of public development banks in accelerating electricity access in Africa.

The shared goal is clear: to provide access to electricity for 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, a crucial ambition to promote sustainable and inclusive development across the continent. This initiative will have significant positive impacts, particularly for the most vulnerable populations, essential public services such as schools and healthcare centers, as well as local businesses. Furthermore, access to electricity serves as a powerful catalyst for economic growth through tailored pricing policies while playing a key role in advancing gender equality.

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, said: “We applaud the € 1 billion commitment by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in support of Mission 300. Achieving our goal of providing access to electricity for 300 million people in Africa by 2030 is a collective mission for which global partnerships are critical. The AFD has always been a strategic partner in Africa. I warmly welcome the announcement and look forward to our working together to accelerate the implementation of Mission 300”

“Electricity is more than power –it’s the backbone of progress, job creation, and economic development. We are proud to deepen our partnership with the Agence Française de Développement to support countries in advancing reforms and expanding energy access to underserved communities,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga.

Rémy Rioux, CEO of AFD Group and FiCS Chairman, said: “We are delighted to collaborate once again with the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group to enable 300 million Africans to gain access to electricity by 2030. Access is the cornerstone of a broader just energy transition that drives sustainable and inclusive development across the African continent and beyond. Mobilizing for millions of households to have energy is a crucial solidarity-based investment. During the upcoming Finance in Common (FiCS) Summit on 26-28 February, willing public development banks, from multilateral to national, will be convened to mobilise for Mission 300.”

Contact Presse :
Chloé Odstrcil / odstrcilc@afd.fr

About AFD Group
AFD Group finances and drives the transition to a fairer, safer and more resilient world, working with its partners to support communities all over the world. Drawing on the complementary strengths of its entities – Agence Française de Développement for public financing, Proparco for responsible private investment, and Expertise France for technical expertise – the Group is ideally positioned to meet all sustainable development challenges.

Working in over 160 countries, including France’s Overseas Territories and Departments, the Group adapts its operations to the realities on the ground, actively supporting local initiatives. With over 4,000 projects, whose objectives are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), AFD Group works on behalf of the French people, together with all stakeholders committed to economic development and the preservation of common goods: climate, biodiversity, peace, gender equality and global health. Working by your side, toward a world in common.