Mission 300: AfDB Sounds Africa’s Energy Wake-Up Call

Africa is moving. Not just in its streets and markets, but in its power plants and transmission lines. Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank (AfDB), does not speak in hypotheticals. He talks about concrete projects, kilowatts feeding into the grid, lives being transformed. In a recent interview, he lays out the contours of Mission 300, the ambitious initiative to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. Mission 300, he tells us, has outgrown its project status. 'It has become a movement,' he insists. Partners are lining up, commitments are multiplying, and the speed of execution is surprising even the most optimistic. Whether you are in Paris, Montreal, or New York, you have likely heard about the continent's energy urgency. But what Kariuki describes is an organized rush — financial institutions, governments, and private companies aligning their strategies around a common goal. The AfDB, acting as conductor, sets a pace Africa has not seen in decades. The Bank's preferred energy mix? A pragmatic balance. No dogma. Kariuki mentions solar, hydropower, gas — yes, gas, because Africa must also meet immediate needs without sacrificing growth. But he stresses one point: every project must be viable, sustainable, and above all, fast. 'We no longer have the luxury of waiting,' he says. Power plants are rising in record time, grids are expanding, and rural communities, long forgotten, are finally seeing t