Dar es Salaam: The Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit commenced on Monday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with a significant call by Dr. Doto Biteko, Tanzania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, to enhance equitable and sustainable energy solutions for Africa’s future. Dr. Biteko emphasized the summit’s role as a catalyst for the ongoing National Compact energy policy, aimed at promoting energy sustainability, conservation, and efficiency across the continent.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the National Compact policy, developed with the collaboration of 12 pilot countries, is designed to provide a coordinated framework for unlocking additional investments from governments, the private sector, and development partners to achieve targeted energy goals. The policy focuses on increasing access to modern energy services, expanding the share of renewable energy, and ensuring a secure energy supply.
Dr. Biteko highlighted the collective effort required to drive more equitable and sustainable energy initiatives and underscored the summit’s contribution to these objectives. The Mission 300 initiative, he noted, reflects the shared commitment of African nations to achieve universal clean energy access, reduce carbon emissions, and support livelihoods.
The Dar es Salaam Energy Summit is seen as complementing Africa’s ambition to electrify the continent in alignment with the African Agenda 2063 goals. Dr. Biteko pointed out the progress made by African countries in power generation and distribution since gaining independence in the 1960s, with Tanzania increasing its electricity capacity from 21 megawatts at independence to 3,160 megawatts today.
Despite these achievements, Dr. Biteko acknowledged that approximately 571 million Africans still lack access to electricity. The summit aims to address this challenge with a target of increasing electricity access for at least 300 million people in Africa over the next five years.
Dr. Biteko expressed gratitude to the summit’s co-organizers, including the World Bank Group, African Development Bank, the Rockefeller Foundation, Sustainable Energy for All, and the Energy Global Alliance for People and Planet, for their support and cooperation. He welcomed participants to Dar es Salaam and emphasized the importance of the summit in shaping Africa’s energy future.
He anticipated enriching discussions during the summit, which would provide a platform for ministers, international financial institution heads, and civil society experts to address various energy-related issues. Dr. Biteko stressed the summit’s potential as a key milestone in the quest for universal electricity access across Africa.