Source: Government of Qatar
New York, September 26, 2025
The State of Qatar participated in the second meeting of the G20 Foreign Ministers, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The State of Qatar’s delegation to the meeting was headed by HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi.
Source: Government of Qatar
New York, September 26, 2025
The State of Qatar participated in the UN Security Council’s high-level open debate on artificial intelligence and international peace and security, on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The State of Qatar’s delegation to the debate was headed by HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi.
Source: APO
The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 will host a technical workshop organized by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, on October 1, 2025, in Cape Town. Under the theme Strategies to Maximize Africa’s Mining Potential, the session will connect global investors and mining stakeholders to emerging opportunities across the continent’s mining value chain.
Led by Franklin Edochie, Deputy Director & Head of Metals and Mining at AFC, the workshop will explore key industry trends, with a focus on energy transition and precious metals. AMW 2025 comes at a pivotal time, as Africa strengthens cooperation with global partners such as the AFC to unlock investment, accelerate infrastructure development, advance value addition and drive GDP growth and job creation. With global demand for critical minerals projected to quadruple by 2030, Africa – home to 30% of the world’s reserves – holds a central role in reinforcing global supply chains while harnessing this demand for sustainable development.
The AMW workshop will also highlight AFC’s achievements and solutions in bridging Africa’s mining financing gap. Through infrastructure investment, blended finance and de-risking strategies, AFC has positioned itself as a key player in African mining. The institution has contributed over $50 billion to GDP, mobilized $14 billion in capital and created seven million jobs across critical industries, including mining. AFC’s investments in the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine in the DRC alone have generated 26,000 jobs, while support for the Lobito Corridor is enhancing mineral exports and regional trade between the DRC, Zambia and Angola.
At AMW 2025, AFC will present two portfolio mining case studies and two pipeline case studies, underscoring its commitment to sustainable sector growth. A Silver Partner of the event, AFC will be represented by various speakers, including Molebogeng Mazibuko, Associate Vice President, Investment and Andrea Tiacoh-Sanogo, Associate, Metals & Mining, in high-level discussions on the future of mining in Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Check out AFC’s Development Impact Report here (https://apo-opa.co/46Gw974).
About African Mining Week:
African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2025 conference from October 1-3 in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com.
Source: APO
The African School of Governance (ASG) (https://ASG.ac/) celebrated an epic milestone with the matriculation of its inaugural Master of Public Administration (MPA) cohort. Co-founded by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the first-of-its-kind programme offers a unique opportunity for students to learn from a wide range of the continent’s most prominent scholars, policymakers, and government leaders.
ASG welcomed fifty-one students from fourteen African nations as their #ASGPioneers with invigorating words of wisdom and encouragement.
“An institution is only as strong as the people it shapes. That means you,” said President Kagame as he reminded students of their leadership responsibilities. “Your education here will challenge you to think critically and practically, about how to move our continent forward. Our hope is that soon, when your countries look to you for answers, you will be ready.”
Members of the diplomatic corps, ASG leadership, partners, students and faculty bore witness to the incoming class taking the ASG Pledge, committing to integrity, selfless service, and transformative leadership.
“Together we commit to advance excellence and transformative leadership on the African continent,” – commented Francisca Mujawase, President of the Student Representative Council.
Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, underscored the moment’s significance:
“Today marks a pivotal milestone for the ASG and for Africa’s future leadership. The inaugural Master of Public Administration class reflects a Pan-African vision of inclusion and diversity, cultivating leaders grounded in African realities. Each participant embodies the promise of ethical and transformational leadership that will drive innovation and global best practice and bring prosperity and peace across the continent.”
The Mastercard Foundation is a founding partner of ASG, working alongside the co-founders and other African leaders to nurture a new generation of ethical and effective public leaders. The partnership reflects the goals of the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which seeks to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
The ceremony culminated with a high-level dialogue between President Kagame and former Prime Minister Desalegn and students exploring the theme of Mindset and Attitude of Leadership.
In the discussion, H.E. Desalegn challenged students to lead the charge of embodying selfless leadership saying, “I want to see selfless leaders who are committed as servant leaders to serve their own people. Our aim is to see ‘this is my turn to eat’ change to ‘this is my turn to sacrifice’.”
Matriculation marked a defining moment for ASG. Commenting on the significance of the event, Prof. Amany El-Sharif, Vice-President for Academic Affairs said, “Today is far more than a ceremony. It is a rite of passage and a commitment to serve Africa.”
As a platform and centre for public policy, innovation and discourse, ASG will host public lectures and events throughout the year. For more information on ASG and upcoming events please visit https://ASG.ac/.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African School of Governance.
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About the African School of Governance (ASG):
ASG is a ground-breaking graduate-level institution committed to transforming leadership and governance in Africa. Through its pillars of education, research, and public policy, ASG empowers leaders to address Africa’s challenges with culturally relevant, evidence-based, and innovative solutions. The institution is poised to become a catalyst for positive change, producing ethical leaders who will lead Africa’s charge toward sustainable development and governance excellence.
About the Mastercard Foundation:
The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Its Young Africa Works strategy aims to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030, while its EleV strategy will support 100,000 Indigenous youth in Canada to complete their education and transition to meaningful work aligned with their traditions, values, and aspirations.
Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by its Board of Directors and Leadership team. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.MastercardFdn.org.
Source: APO
Africa’s premier trade and investment event, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is transitioning into an independent, permanent African institution headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe to accelerate Africa’s economic integration.
The Intra-African Trade Fair Company (IATFCO) was unveiled during the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) in Algiers. The move is aimed at making the fair sustainable, scalable and deeply aligned to the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The announcement follows a rigorous selection process and eventual approval by the IATF Advisory Council and marks a new era in the organisation of the fair. IATF is co-convened biennially by the African Afreximbank, the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat.
Zimbabwe emerged winner from the formal bids for hosting the headquarters of the IATFCO that were received from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Announcing the selection of Zimbabwe, the Chairman of the IATF Advisory Council and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E. Chief Olusegun Obasanjo explained that Zimbabwe was competitively selected for its conferencing facilities, robust air connectivity, accommodation capacity and pledged land for expansion.
H.E. Obasanjo said: “This opens a new chapter for IATF as it continues powering growth in intra-African trade and playing its role as the most important trade and investment gathering on the continent. IATF is a symbol of Africa’s economic awakening, where the power of trade and investment unifies us from across regions of the African continent and breathes life to the ambition of the African Continental Free Trade Area AfCFTA.
President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Prof. Benedict Oramah congratulated the Government of Zimbabwe and challenged it, alongside the Advisory Council, to expedite its opening as an independent and sustainable organisation.
“This is a huge milestone for IATF. It is encouraging that the Board of Afreximbank has approved an initial capitalisation of US$28 million for the institution. While we anticipate that the organisation would strive for financial sustainability, I would like to seize this opportunity to call on African governments, Corporations, and financial institutions to support it during its early teething stage,” Prof Oramah said.
IATF is a platform for businesses to showcase their goods and services to visitors and buyers while exploring opportunities and exchanging information. IATF aims to tap into opportunities from AfCFTA’s single market of over 1.4 billion people and GDP of over US$3.5 trillion. Attended by more than 112,000 visitors from 132 countries, IATF2025, which took place from 4 to 10 September, ended on a remarkably high note with US$48.3 billion in trade and investment deals signed over the seven days of the continental exposition. It welcomed 2,148 exhibitors.
For more information, please visit www.IntrAfricanTradeFair.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.
Media contact:
media@intrafricatradefair.com
press@afreximbank.com
About the Intra-African Trade Fair:
Organised by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), African Union Commission (AUC) and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) is intended to provide a unique platform for facilitating trade and investment information exchange in support of increased intra-African trade and investment, especially in the context of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). IATF brings together continental and global players to showcase and exhibit their goods and services and to explore business and investment opportunities in the continent. It also provides a platform to share trade, investment and market information with stakeholders and allows participants to discuss and identify solutions to the challenges confronting intra-African trade and investment. In addition to African participants, the Trade Fair is also open to businesses and investors from non-African countries interested in doing business in Africa and in supporting the continent’s transformation through industrialisation and export development.
Source: APO
On October 12, 2025, the Republic of Cameroon will elect its next president. This presidential election consolidates democratic achievements, strengthens national stability, and reaffirms Cameroon’s leadership as a key player in continental development and integration.
The Africa24 Group is deploying an exceptional bilingual (French-English) editorial setup to allow citizens, decision-makers, and national, regional, continental, and global audiences to discover the diversity and multiple strengths of Cameroon.
Discover Cameroon here : https://apo-opa.co/3W6E1Ke
35 exclusive interviews with leaders, 10 unprecedented debates on key issues, 90 stories in the Campaign Journal, and 20 immersive reports.
Through Africa24 and Africa24 English, two full HD channels, discover our extensive and innovative TV & digital programming:
Africa24 Group: 360° coverage reaching 120 million households worldwide
Follow “Cameroon Presidential Election 2025” live, on replay, and on-demand across all platforms:
With Africa24 Group, Together, let’s transform Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of AFRICA24 Group.
Additional Links: https://apo-opa.co/42IkEuG
Contact:
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ABOUT AFRICA24 GROUP:
As the continent’s leading audiovisual brand, AFRICA24 Group operates four full HD television channels, each a leader in its segment:
AFRICA24 Group also operates myafrica24 (Google Play and App Store), the world’s first HD streaming platform dedicated to Africa, available on all screens (TV, tablet, smartphone, and computer).
Source: APO
OPEC and the African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org/) will host the OPEC-Africa Roundtable at African Energy Week (AEW) 2025: Invest in African Energies in Cape Town, bringing together leading ministers, policymakers and industry leaders for a pivotal dialogue on Africa’s oil and gas future. With Africa holding 7.8% of global proven oil reserves and producing 8% of daily output, the continent is not only central to OPEC’s strategy but also to the future of global energy security. This high-level engagement aims to chart a collaborative path forward, emphasizing Africa’s role in shaping a balanced, inclusive and sustainable energy future.
The roundtable will convene OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais alongside ministers from Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and South Africa, with AEC Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk serving as moderator. Against a backdrop of rising global demand, these discussions will focus on how Africa’s abundant resources – estimated at over 120 billion barrels of oil and 620 trillion cubic feet of natural gas – can be harnessed to attract investment, stimulate industrial growth and support energy access across the continent.
Key to the dialogue will be the alignment of policy frameworks with OPEC’s 2025 vision, which prioritizes energy security, innovation and long-term stability. African producers face common challenges in financing upstream projects, modernizing infrastructure and navigating the energy transition, making regional collaboration essential. By advancing coordinated strategies, the roundtable will spotlight opportunities to strengthen intra-African partnerships, expand refining and petrochemical capacity and integrate natural gas into power generation and industrial use.
For Africa, the stakes are high. According to OPEC’s 2025 World Oil Outlook, crude use in Africa is expected to rise from 1.8 million bpd in 2024 to 4.5 million bpd by 2050, driven by population growth, urbanization and industrialization. Meanwhile, investments in African oil and gas projects could reach $1.4 trillion cumulatively over the same period if the right conditions are in place. The roundtable provides a platform to accelerate this trajectory, ensuring that Africa secures both the capital and the technology necessary to develop its energy resources responsibly and profitably.
“The OPEC-Africa Roundtable is about ensuring Africa’s voice and priorities are fully represented in global energy conversations,” states Ayuk. “OPEC’s partnership with African producers is vital for building stability, encouraging investment and creating a future where energy drives prosperity for Africans. This dialogue is not just about numbers – it is about jobs, industrial growth and ensuring that Africa’s resources work for Africa’s people.”
AEW: Invest in African Energies continues to serve as the continent’s premier platform for deals, partnerships and high-level dialogue. The OPEC-Africa Roundtable reflects a shared vision of advancing Africa’s energy future while contributing to global supply security and economic resilience.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
About African Energy Week:
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Steven C. Roach, Professor of Internatiional Relations, University of South Florida
Salva Kiir, the president of South Sudan, met with then US president Barack Obama at the White House in 2011 to discuss the future of the newly independent state.
Officials seated at the table were eager to hear about the vision for the political stability of the new country. But when Obama asked Kiir about his plan, Kiir turned to his chief advisor for an answer.
In my view, Kiir has never – then, or since – had a vision or plan to unify the country. This view is informed by my decades of research on the country and on-the-ground experience. I am a professor of international relations and the author of a book on South Sudan’s politics. I also served as a country expert for the United States Agency for International Development’s assessment team in South Sudan.
What’s happened since independence in 2011 is that Kiir has financed a patronage network and put his political rivals at arm’s length by keeping the country undeveloped and its institutions weak. Through the years, he has relied on the support of his cabinet and a tribal base of followers (he is from the Dinka community) to sow deep distrust of the opposition.
I researched this dynamic of governance in South Sudan in a recent study. I found that the country’s leaders have devised four fundamental strategies to exploit instability. These strategies are:
delaying elections to evade accountability
repressing any actors, such as civil society, that seek to unify the nation and modernise the state
playing up the threat of rebellion from political rivals to sustain violence and project fear
leaning on regional conflicts to hold on to power.
As a result, instability and division have shaped the country’s political system. This has been enabled by informal patronage networks, war and denial, but also through the behaviour and actions of a corrupt ruling elite.
Instability has allowed the elite to undermine the justice system and actively suppress efforts at reconciliation.
This highlights the need to place more power in regional and international actors to hold South Sudan’s leaders accountable, while empowering civil society to promote such accountability.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011.
Growing distrust among the country’s elites soon led to the outbreak of civil war between 2013 and 2015. The war resulted in nearly 400,000 deaths, with 2.3 million people fleeing to neighbouring countries.
Pressure from the UN and the United States saw warring parties agree to a peace deal in August 2015. However, tensions rose again in July 2016, leading to a fresh wave of violence.
In 2018, a new peace deal was signed, but it has yet to be fully implemented. Ensuing turmoil has led to implementation delays and exposed the country’s rampant corruption.
South Sudan is one of Africa’s poorest countries. Yet, it’s also ranked as the most corrupt country in the world, according to Transparency International. A recent report issued by the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan found
The ensuing cycle of grand corruption aided by total impunity has produced a devastating humanitarian and human rights crisis.
The 2018 peace agreement led to the formation of a Transitional Government of National Unity, and renewed hope that the country would work toward democracy, stability and the rule of law. Unlike the 2015 peace deal, which involved negotiations with a few parties, the 2018 agreement brought several more groups to the table.
But the country has yet to hold its first elections, adopt a permanent constitution, integrate the armed forces or establish a war crimes court. It remains a fragile country torn by violence and turmoil.
In March 2025, for instance, Kiir arrested his main rival and former vice-president Riek Machar. He accused Machar of planning a rebellion against the government. A few months later in September, Machar was accused of treason.
Relations between Kiir and Machar have been strained since 2013, derailing efforts to implement the peace deal that stopped a war pitting forces loyal to Kiir against those allied to Machar.
Instability has become a favoured tool among elites for maintaining political power. The process of governing through instability relies on four political strategies.
First, Kiir has used instability to delay the implementation of key pillars of the 2018 peace agreement. In October 2024, Kiir announced the postponement of long-awaited elections to 2026. He warned that there was too much instability to hold peaceful elections. This delay did little to stem violence or instability. In fact, it simply afforded Kiir more time to stave off efforts to hold government elites accountable.
Second, the government has used the threat of political instability to downplay the need for justice and democracy. This threat became a tool for repressing civil society actors and justifying their exclusion from the peace process in 2018.
Third, instability fuels political uncertainty, giving the government space to stoke fears of rebellion whenever it suits its interests. Such fears have been repeatedly exploited in the power struggle between Kiir and Machar.
Lastly, an increase in regional instability has extended, and in some ways complicated, the state’s ability to govern through instability. On one hand, regional conflicts have forced Kiir to assume a diplomatic posture for managing conflicts in neighbouring countries, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. On the other hand, the spillover effects of war have hit South Sudan. Sudan’s civil war, for instance, has pushed South Sudan to the brink of renewed violence. A recent break in an oil pipeline linking the two countries has cut nearly 40% of South Sudan’s oil revenue.
One way forward for South Sudan is to devise an effective strategy for succession in the country’s leadership.
Kiir, who has been in poor health, has taken steps toward a succession plan.
The president singlehandedly appointed Benjamin Bol Mel, his former advisor and money man, as an apparent successor in February 2025. He sacked two of his vice-presidents, Kuol Manyang Juuk and Daniel Awet Akot – the two main dissenting voices left in the government – in May 2025. Kiir then appointed his daughter, Adut Salva Kiir, to serve as a senior presidential envoy.
These decisions bypassed the ruling party’s procedures of appointing a successor, which require discussion and a vote on new appointees.
Kiir had argued that the 2018 peace agreement allowed him to appoint his own successor. However, allowing party procedure to determine the outcomes of a successor would be far more likely to calm tensions.
Moving beyond the dynamic of instability will also depend on the pressure placed on Kiir and other national elites by key international donors, and their continued support of civil society actors.
Neither option seems particularly possible at the moment. With civil war raging in Sudan and the US having dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (which provided nearly US$16 million in aid to civil society programmes in 2023), South Sudan’s fragility is unlikely to improve any time soon.
– South Sudan is unstable: how a weak state benefits the ruling elite
– https://theconversation.com/south-sudan-is-unstable-how-a-weak-state-benefits-the-ruling-elite-265198
Source: APO
The African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies conference – Africa’s largest energy event scheduled for September 29 to October 3 in Cape Town – will feature the highly-anticipated Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Closed Door Summit. Led by the Government of Zimbabwe and with Invictus Energy as partner, the session provides a strategic opportunity for investors, project developers and global partners to gain direct insight into the country’s energy and mining sectors.
As one of Africa’s final oil and gas frontiers and one of the continent’s biggest mineral producers, Zimbabwe offers significant opportunities for companies across both the natural and mineral resource sectors. Strong political will and an improved business have strengthened the country’s attractiveness for foreign investment, while Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s position as Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community in 2025 reflects a commitment to working with regional partners to advance economic development. The Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Summit builds on these efforts, offering a platform for global investors to connect with Zimbabwean projects.
AEW: Invest in African Energies is the platform of choice for project operators, financiers, technology providers and government, and has emerged as the official place to sign deals in African energy. Visit www.AECWeek.com for more information about this exciting event.
While Zimbabwe’s energy matrix has been dominated by hydropower, forays into natural gas exploration show the promise of a diversified energy portfolio. The country has emerged as one of Africa’s top frontier gas markets in recent years, with ongoing drilling activities led by Invictus Energy yielding positive results. The company is advancing the development of the Cabora Bassa Project in northern Zimbabwe – one of the world’s largest untested frontier rift basins – following a string of discoveries made in 2023 and 2024. The government is currently the Petroleum Production Sharing Agreement with Invictus Energy and has recently provides National Project Status to the Cabora Bassa development.
As an Australian oil and gas company focused on the Cabora Bassa Project, Invictus Energy is leading Zimbabwe’s gas agenda. The company secured the green light in 2025 to begin pilot production activities in the country, including supplying gas to the Eureka Gold Mine. This not only underscores the potential for gas utilization in the country but reflects opportunities for cross-sector development. As one of the country’s biggest contributors to GDP, the mining industry is a strategic market for Zimbabwe. Through gas, the industry is well-positioned to advance production even further.
Looking ahead, Invictus Energy is preparing to drill its next exploration well at the Musuma-1 site in H2, 2025, backed by an agreement signed with Al Mansour Holdings (AMH). Signed in August 2025, the deal will see AMH acquire a 19.9% stake in Invictus Energy, mobilizing up to $500 million in conditional future financing to support exploration activities in Zimbabwe. Musuma-1 targets up to 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas, showcasing the level of potential in Zimbabwe’s onshore basins. While efforts by Invictus Energy have unlocked a new petroleum province in southern Africa, most of the country’s natural gas market is underexplored. The Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Summit will spotlight opportunities in gas exploration and production.
Beyond natural gas, Zimbabwe continues to cement its position as an emerging energy producer, with projects in coal production, renewable energy development and power infrastructure set to enhance energy access and security. In 2025, the country is on track to increase coal production by 10.5%, with output set to reach 6.3 million tons throughout the year. In tandem, the country is advancing new hydropower developments, with key initiatives including the Lake Mutirikwi plant, the Batoka Gorge plant and the Osborne Dam Mini-Hydro project. Across these sectors, significant gaps remain, presenting a unique opportunity for project developers and financiers.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe is consolidating its position as a leading mineral producer, with the anticipated restructuring of the Mines and Minerals Amendment bill supporting mining activities. As Africa’s largest lithium producer, the country has already begun to play a central role in global supply chains and is poised to be a driver for Africa’s energy transition. Recent investments signal renewed global interest in the country’s lithium prospects. These include a $310 million investment by British and Chinese firms in the Sandawana mine; a $300 million upgrade to the Bikita mine; and a $300 million investment by ZHEJIANG Huayou Cobalt at the Arcadia mine. Zimbabwe is also emerging as a front-runner in gold and platinum group metal production. Striving to reach 40 tons in gold production in 2025, the country is inviting investments across the gold value chain. The Invest in Zimbabwe Energies Summit will serve as a vehicle for this investment.
“Zimbabwe is positioning itself as one of Africa’s most exciting frontiers for both energy and mining investment. The country’s emerging natural gas potential, combined with its vast mineral wealth, creates opportunities that few markets can rival. Strong political will, regulatory reform and a commitment to regional integration make Zimbabwe an attractive destination for capital. Investors who move now will be well-placed to benefit from the country’s transformation into a diversified energy and mining powerhouse” says NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Source: APO
Seventeen African governments today committed to reforms and actionable plans to expand electricity access as part of Mission 300—an ambitious partnership led by the World Bank Group and African Development Bank Group (https://www.AfDB.org/) that aims to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
At the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum (https://apo-opa.co/42dhJtN) , national Energy Compacts—practical blueprints that guide public spending, trigger reforms, and attract private capital—were endorsed by Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, São Tomé and Principe, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
“Electricity is the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth,” said World Bank Group President Ajay Banga. “That’s why Mission 300 is more than a target—it is forging enduring reforms that slash costs, strengthen utilities, and draw in private investment.”
Since the launch (https://apo-opa.co/3KfhisX) of Mission 300, 30 million people have already been connected, with more than 100 million in the pipeline.
“Reliable, affordable power is the fastest multiplier for small and medium enterprises, agro-processing, digital work, and industrial value-addition,” said African Development Bank Group President Dr Sidi Ould Tah. “Give a young entrepreneur power, and you’ve given them a paycheck.”
National Energy Compacts are at the core of Mission 300, developed and endorsed by governments with technical support from development partners. Tailored to each country’s context, these practical blueprints integrate three core tracks—infrastructure, financing, and policy.
Earlier this year, Energy Compacts were endorsed by Chad (https://apo-opa.co/4gF13Bj), Côte d’Ivoire (https://apo-opa.co/4mE9sWZ), Democratic Republic of Congo (https://apo-opa.co/3IB2YKL), Liberia (https://apo-opa.co/46oLQkz), Madagascar (https://apo-opa.co/3W9jaG5), Malawi (https://apo-opa.co/3IvVnx2), Mauritania (https://apo-opa.co/4mB96Re), Niger (https://apo-opa.co/4njBRTr), Nigeria (https://apo-opa.co/4mFo48O), Senegal (https://apo-opa.co/4nysQ96), Tanzania (https://apo-opa.co/3VBpA0A), and Zambia (https://apo-opa.co/4nxsNKT)—together pledging to make more than 400 policy actions to strengthen utilities, reduce investor risk, and remove bottlenecks.
The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group are working with partners including the Rockefeller Foundation (https://apo-opa.co/42bC2b2), Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) (https://apo-opa.co/3KkwtkA), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) (https://apo-opa.co/4nqxGFA), and the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) (https://apo-opa.co/4gS8ZiP) trust fund to align efforts in support of powering Africa. Many development partners and development finance institutions are also supporting Mission 300 projects through co-financing and technical assistance.
Quotes by African Heads of State and Ministers Committing to Mission 300 Energy Compacts today:
Duma Boko
President of Botswana
“This National Compact is our shared pledge to ensure accessible, reliable and affordable energy as a basic human need, to transform our economy and create jobs, and to electrify our journey to an inclusive high-income country.”
Paul Biya
President of the Republic of Cameroon
“The government of the Republic of Cameroon is committed, through its Energy Compact, to a determined transition towards renewable energies, promoting inclusive universal access and sustainable development based on partnerships and ambitious reforms to build a low-carbon future.”
Azali Assoumani
President of the Union of the Comoros
“The Comoros Energy Compact is a call for collective action to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030, in order to ensure the country’s emergence in dignity, equity, and shared progress.”
Denis Sassou Nguesso
President of the Republic of Congo
“In addition to abundant sunlight and gas resources capable of generating more electricity, the Republic of Congo has a certified hydroelectric potential of nearly 27,000 MW and more than 100,000 MW currently under study. The Energy Compact will enable Congo to achieve universal access to electricity, supply industries in special economic and mining zones, and export surplus energy to other countries. Harnessing this renewable and sustainable energy will cover more than one-third of Africa’s electricity needs. Since Congo has liberalized the electricity sector, investors are invited, within the framework of Mission 300, to establish themselves and engage in profitable and sustainable business.”
Taye Atske Selassie
President of Ethiopia
“Our National Energy Compact exemplifies Ethiopia’s unwavering dedication to ensuring universal, affordable, and sustainable energy access for all. By unlocking our vast renewable resources, strengthening regional interconnections, we aim to foster inclusive growth domestically and propel Africa’s collective momentum toward ending energy poverty. Together, we are committed to building a resilient, equitable, and sustainable energy future for generations to come.”
Adama Barrow
President of The Republic of The Gambia
“The Gambia’s Energy Compact reaffirms our commitment to universal electricity access by 2030, scaling renewables, strengthening infrastructure, integrating the private sector and improving sector governance. Through partnerships, it aims to transform power supply – ensuring reliability, affordability, and sustainability for all citizens.”
John Dramani Mahama
President of the Republic of Ghana
“Ghana believes universal energy access is key to empowering businesses, reducing poverty, and creating equal opportunities. This goal can only be achieved through strong government–private sector partnerships, supported by an enabling environment for sustainable investment.”
Mamadi Doumbouya
President of the Republic of Guinea
“The Republic of Guinea reaffirms its commitment to guaranteeing, by 2030, universal access to reliable, clean, and affordable electricity, while providing sufficient capacity to support national industrialization, particularly in the mining sector, through a transparent and constructive partnership with the private sector.”
William Ruto
President of the Republic of Kenya
“Energy is a key enabler under the infrastructure component of Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. The Energy Compact anchors our commitment to achieve universal access to electricity and clean cooking and transition our grid to full reliance on clean energy by 2030.”
Sam Matekane
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho
“Mountain winds blow, waters flow, the sun shines brightest – Lesotho, the kingdom in the sky. Universal access to renewable energy is our proud imperative. Experience elevation with agility and scale. Be part of our journey and pride. Invest in Lesotho.”
Daniel Chapo
President of Mozambique
“Mozambique is on track to achieve Mission 300 targets and consolidate our role as a regional powerhouse through export of our abundant, affordable and clean energy. We welcome support from partners to achieve universal access, promote economic growth and green industrialization, and increase regional trade and integration.”
Julius Maada Bio
President of Sierra Leone
“Our M300 Compact is the most ambitious and comprehensive energy infrastructure initiative ever developed for Sierra Leone. Powered by evidence-based solutions and data, this single plan for Sierra Leone’s energy transformation holds the greatest promise for unlocking sustainable and inclusive development for our people.”
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé
President of the Togolese Republic
“We guarantee reliable, affordable and clean electricity for all, and access to clean cooking. This Compact massively mobilizes the private sector to accelerate our industrialization and make Togo a competitive energy hub.”
Américo d’Oliveira dos Ramos
Prime Minister, São Tomé and Principe
“Our Compact provides a forward-thinking framework to fuel a sustainable and inclusive model of economic growth for Saotomeans. We are enacting strong reforms and developing innovative business models to raise US$190 million from the private sector to finance this objective.”
Edouard Bizimana
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Burundi
“The Republic of Burundi has set ambitious targets for access to electricity and clean cooking to improve the economic and social development of its population. Private sector participation is crucial to achieving these goals.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Contacts:
World Bank Group Media Relations:
press@worldbank.org
African Development Bank Group:
media@afdb.org
Websites:
www.WorldBank.org
https://www.AfDB.org/
