Share the page
AFD, the EIB, and the EBRD mobilized alongside the European Union to improve access to electricity for 600,000 people in Benin
Published on
Nairobi, May 11th 2026 – On the occasion of the Africa Forward Summit, the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Investment Bank (EIB Global), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) alongside the European Union are signing a joint declaration on the PEDER+ project. Coordinated by AFD, this financing aims to improve access to electricity for 600,000 people, representing 4% of Benin’s population.
Supported by the European Union under the Global Gateway initiative, this project is also part of the Mission 300 momentum, led by the World Bank and the African Development Bank, to accelerate access to electricity for 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
PEDER+, a flagship project for electricity access
With a total budget of €173 million, PEDER+ is expected to benefit 600,000 people, enable 120,000 new connections, and improve access to electricity in 750 localities through the construction or rehabilitation of about 4,500 kilometers of power lines.
The project will strengthen and extend medium- and low-voltage networks in the Mono, Couffo, and Borgou departments, where access to electricity remains very limited. It therefore directly contributes to Benin’s National Electrification Strategy, which aims to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030.
AFD, leading a Team Europe mobilization
The PEDER+ financing is structured under a coordinated Team Europe approach, bringing together European financial institutions and the European Union in support of a shared development objective, combining a €50 million sovereign loan from AFD, a €30 million European Union grant delegated to AFD, as well as loans from EIB Global amounting to €63 million and from the EBRD amounting to €30 million. This operation marks the EBRD’s first intervention in sub-Saharan Africa.
A longstanding player in Benin’s electricity sector, AFD serves as the lead coordinator between the Beninese authorities, the European Union, and the mobilized European financial institutions. This role builds on more than twenty years of engagement in the country and demonstrates Team Europe’s ability to structure coordinated, visible, and high-impact financing.
Beyond its social impact, PEDER+ will contribute to the economic development of the targeted regions and to strengthening the Beninese Electricity Company, a key partner in the project’s implementation.
Contact Presse :
Sophie Noel / noels@afd.fr