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AfDB, World Bank Collaborate to Transform Africa’s Energy Access, Connect 300 million by 2030

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Connecting 300 million Africans to electricity within the next five years is within reach through collaborative effort and commitment to implementation, participants at the Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, heard on Monday.

The summit is organized by the Government of Tanzania and Mission 300, an unprecedented collaboration between the African Development Bank Group, the World Bank Group and global partners to address Africa’s electricity access gap using new technology and innovative financing.

Nearly 600 million Africans lack electricity, a critical resource for economic development and job creation.

Speaking during the first panel discussion of the opening day of the two-day Summit, African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina set the summit’s tone of action and implementation, emphasizing practical solutions to achieve the ambitious goal, from regulatory reforms to private sector engagement.

He called for active involvement from a wide range of stakeholders, including bilateral and multilateral institutions, private sector entities, civil society organizations, and foundations.

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“This is mission critical… Our mission here is to say we need everybody… It’s not about us, it’s about those who are not here, and we must listen and hear and make sure this is an action-driven summit… We can’t do Mickey Mouse business…

“We can’t have a situation where Africa does not have enough electricity,” Adesina told the audience, which included several African energy ministers, international development partners and private sector titans, civil society organizations, and foundations, attending the first day of the summit.

The second day of the summit will see the participation of several heads of state from across Africa, who will join more than 1,500 other participants. Together they will chart Africa’s course toward universal access to energy.

“We have a clear path to reaching these 300 million people,” Dr. Adesina stressed, distinguishing the initiative from previous efforts. He emphasized that the program seeks to transform Africa’s vast potential into reality through comprehensive electrification.

“With power, Africa will not just meet expectations but exceed them, becoming a competitive and prosperous continent,” he added.

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Mission 300 will incorporate robust accountability measures, including country-specific monitoring and evaluation systems and the Africa Energy Regulatory Index to track progress. “This is all about accountability, transparency, and delivery while letting Africa develop with pride,” Adesina stated.

Adesina highlighted the devastating toll of traditional cooking methods based on firewood and charcoal, resulting in the death of 600,000 women and children annually due to smoke exposure.

The crisis extends beyond energy access, affecting environmental sustainability through deforestation and biodiversity loss. “It’s not just about energy transition,” Adesina said. “This is about dignity. Africa must develop with dignity and pride, and access to clean cooking solutions is fundamental to achieving this goal.” He praised Tanzania for developing a comprehensive national strategy to address this issue.

World Bank Group President Ajay Banga expressed optimism about the initiative, saying its ambitious objectives are achievable through hard work, particularly in ensuring a conducive environment for the private sector to participate. He emphasized the need for predictability of currencies, regulatory frameworks and land acquisition to incentivize investments supporting Mission 300.

In his remarks, Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation, called global philanthropists to support the initiative.

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“Please join us in getting behind the ideas of this initiative and the country compacts that the leaders will be signing. What is at stake is the future of African economies, the future of African young people, and the future of our world,” he said, adding that his foundation was committing $65 million to the program.

Speaking after the fireside chat, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized that energy access is not merely about power delivery, but about what that power will connect and enable.

“It is important that we see food systems at the helm of all of this, and that they are powered by the energy that you will connect,” she stated.

Mohammed explained how energy connectivity would catalyze transformative change in rural communities, particularly for women and youth, through access to digital financial services, online education, and e-commerce opportunities.

However, she stressed that realizing these ambitions would require significant financial engineering and private sector engagement. “The private sector’s got to lean in and it won’t lean in if the message is that your finance environment is not conducive to us,” she noted, calling for reforms in credit rating systems and financial architecture.

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“When you want to put together the financing for energy it is not easy and it requires many people at the table in parallel with what we are doing, the policy and the regulation, designing these pipelines and getting the money ready.”

The summit is expected to yield two significant outcomes: the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, outlining commitments and practical actions from African governments to reform the energy sector, and the first set of National Energy Compacts, which will serve as blueprints with country-specific targets and timelines for implementation of critical reforms.

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NUPRC Warns of Counterfeit,  AI-Generated Appointment Letters

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Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has cautioned the public against fake recruitment offers and fraudulent employment letters circulating in the agency’s name.

NUPRC Warns of Counterfeit,  AI-Generated Appointment Letters

Eniola Akinkuotu, head of Media and Corporate Communications of the Commission, stated that NUPRC has received reports of counterfeit and AI-generated appointment letters bearing names not known to the regulator.

The Commission also said fraudsters have been extorting money from jobseekers by promising placement within the agency.

NUPRC has reported the incidents to law enforcement and said investigations are underway.

The regulator reiterated that there is no ongoing recruitment exercise and warned members of the public not to make any payments for supposed job offers.

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“Whenever the Commission decides to recruit, the process will be conducted strictly in accordance with extant laws and government regulations,” the statement said.

The Commission urged jobseekers to verify any purported offer and to rely only on official NUPRC communications for recruitment information.

The warning follows growing concerns about the misuse of digital tools, including artificial intelligence, to fabricate apparently authentic documents that can deceive the public.

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Africa50 Secures Fresh Capital, Strategic Partnerships to Accelerate African Infrastructure

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Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform, has secured new investment commitments and strategic partnerships with international investors and Tanzanian institutions aimed at mobilising capital for infrastructure development across Africa.

The agreements, announced at the 2026 Infra for Africa Forum in Dar es Salaam, include a US$20 million commitment from British International Investment (BII) to Africa50’s Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF), as well as partnerships covering natural gas, electricity transmission and healthcare infrastructure in Tanzania.

The latest commitments bring the IAF’s total capital commitments to approximately US$330 million.

Under one of the major agreements, Africa50, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and TAQA Arabia will develop the first phase of a small-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) project designed to distribute domestic natural gas to industrial and transportation customers across Tanzania.

Africa50 is partnering with TAQA Arabia and TPDC on the project, providing project development, investment and financial structuring expertise to develop a bankable model that could be replicated in Tanzania and other markets.

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Mussa M. Makame, Managing Director of TPDC, said the partnership demonstrated Tanzania’s commitment to leveraging its natural gas resources to support national development.

“As a gas supplier to this project, TPDC will work with the project partners to broaden domestic access to cleaner, reliable energy and create greater value for the Tanzanian economy,” he said.

Pakinam Kafafi, CEO of TAQA Arabia subsidiary Rosetta Energy Solutions, said the LNG project would convert Tanzania’s gas resources into reliable energy for industry, communities and transportation.

“This project will turn Tanzania’s abundant gas resources into reliable energy for industry, communities and transport, strengthening energy security and accelerating industrialization,” she said.

Africa50 also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) to collaborate on electricity transmission Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

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The partnership is expected to facilitate Tanzania’s first Independent Power Transmission (IPT) project, drawing on Africa50’s experience with its IPT project in Kenya.

Engineer Timoth Mgaya, Acting Managing Director of TANESCO, said the partnership would help Tanzania attract private capital and strengthen its transmission infrastructure.

“Partnering with Africa50 provides Tanzania with strategic project-development and financing expertise as we unlock private capital for Africa’s transmission infrastructure,” he said.

The agreement, he added, would contribute to the development of East Africa’s power market while supporting industrialisation, economic integration and inclusive growth.

In the healthcare sector, Africa50 and Tanzania’s Ministry of Health signed an MoU to expand access to renal care and dialysis services for patients suffering from kidney diseases.

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The partnership is expected to provide healthcare infrastructure, reliable medical equipment, experienced operators and long-term investment to strengthen the country’s capacity to deliver life-saving renal services.

Meanwhile, BII’s US$20 million investment in the IAF makes the UK development finance institution the latest Limited Partner in the fund.

BII and Africa50 also signed an MoU to deepen cooperation and identify opportunities for co-investment and further mobilisation of capital into African infrastructure.

The IAF invests in equity and quasi-equity opportunities across power, transport and logistics, water and sanitation, digital infrastructure and social infrastructure.

The fund leverages Africa50’s relationships with African governments, corporates and project developers to deploy capital into infrastructure projects with strong commercial and development potential.

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Leslie Maasdorp, Chief Executive Officer of BII, said the partnership would help mobilise additional capital into sustainable infrastructure across Africa.

“Africa’s infrastructure needs are significant, but so are the opportunities,” Maasdorp said. “By combining our expertise, networks and capital, we can help unlock investment that drives growth, creates jobs and improves lives.”

Alain Ebobissé, Group CEO of Africa50, said the new partnerships reflected the organisation’s evolution from a project development institution into a major infrastructure investment platform.

“Africa50 was created to develop bankable projects, mobilize finance for investments in Africa’s infrastructure and accelerate delivery,” he said.

According to Ebobissé, the organisation is now positioned to scale up infrastructure investment by translating the vision of African leaders into commercially viable projects capable of attracting capital from both African and international investors.

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The agreements were announced as Africa50 marked its 10th anniversary under the theme, “A Decade of Economic Impact: From Vision to Delivery.”

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MTN Engages UNILAG, YABATECH Students on Careers in Technology, Finance, Cybersecurity

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MTN Nigeria, leading technology company, recently hosted undergraduates from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) for an immersive career engagement session, at the MTN Rooftop Plaza, Ikoyi, Lagos.

MTN Engages UNILAG, YABATECH Students on Careers in Technology, Finance, Cybersecurity

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The event exposed students to career opportunities across cybersecurity, finance, internal audit and forensic investigations while providing practical insights into the skills required to succeed in today’s workplace.

The session was designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry by helping students better understand the diverse career paths available within the telecommunications and technology sector.

The engagement brought together students studying Economics, Banking and Finance, Cybersecurity and Accounting, providing an opportunity to interact directly with professionals from various business functions.

Through presentations and discussions, participants gained a deeper understanding of the competencies, experiences and continuous learning required to build successful careers in a rapidly evolving business environment.

The engagement comes at a time when technology-related roles, including cybersecurity specialists, are among the world’s fastest-growing occupations, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025.

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During the visit, the students met with senior cybersecurity and forensic professionals who shared insights into their respective fields and discussed emerging trends shaping the future of work.

The sessions also highlighted the wide range of career opportunities available across different fields, demonstrating that success in the industry is not limited to any particular course of study.

Undergraduates were also introduced to the evolving nature of the audit profession, as data analytics, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are becoming increasingly important areas of focus for internal auditors.

During a session on building a meaningful career in Internal Auditing, undergraduates were encouraged to approach their professional journeys with purpose, continuous learning and a commitment to personal growth.

The session emphasised that career success extends beyond securing employment and involves developing relevant skills, understanding one’s strengths and intentionally pursuing opportunities that align with personal values and long-term goals.

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Speaking during the engagement, Chief Internal Audit and Forensic Services Officer, Ibe Kalu Etea, represented by the General Manager, Internal Audit and Forensics, Wasiu Ibrahim, encouraged the undergraduates to remain open to opportunities beyond their academic backgrounds and focus on developing transferable skills. “Students can take any career path they want to. You can upskill and transition into a different career, even if it is not what you studied in school.

“Do not let your course of study determine your career path. Focus on building relevant skills, staying curious and continuously learning because opportunities exist across many fields,” he said.

The Undergraduates also participated in an interactive question-and-answer session, where they sought guidance on career development, workplace expectations and professional growth.

The initiative reflects MTN Nigeria’s commitment to nurturing future talent by connecting young people with industry leaders and equipping them with the knowledge, exposure and confidence needed to navigate their career journeys.

 

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