The World Bank Group and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet have announced a new partnership aimed at expanding the productive use of energy across Africa through a regional Centre of Excellence to be based in Nairobi, Kenya.
The initiative is designed to strengthen the economic impact of electrification by linking electricity access more closely with agriculture, small businesses and other income-generating activities capable of creating jobs and boosting local economies.
The partnership aligns with Mission 300, a joint initiative led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, Sustainable Energy for All and the Global Energy Alliance, to connect 300 million more people across Africa to electricity by 2030. Since July 2023, more than 45 million people have already gained access to electricity under the programme.
Despite notable progress in electricity access across Africa over the past decade, hundreds of millions of people on the continent still remain without power.
Speaking on the new initiative, Dana Rysankova, Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank Group, said the Centre of Excellence would play a critical role in deepening the impact of electrification programmes across participating countries.
“This new Center of Excellence will be instrumental in helping countries unleash the full promise of Mission 300,” said Dana Rysankova, Lead Energy Specialist at the World Bank Group. “Greater promotion and adoption of productive uses of energy will complement household connections to lift people out of energy poverty, improve livelihoods, and create economic opportunities and jobs.”
The partners noted that while electricity access is expanding, many communities still use power mainly for basic activities such as lighting and phone charging, limiting broader economic benefits and weakening the long-term sustainability of energy investments.
They added that productive use of energy initiatives across sectors including agriculture, healthcare, education and small enterprise have often remained fragmented and poorly integrated into national development plans.
Makena Ireri, Managing Director of Powering Opportunity at the Global Energy Alliance, said the focus must shift beyond simply providing electricity to ensuring it drives economic transformation.
“Expanding access to electricity is only the beginning. What matters is what that energy makes possible in people’s lives,” said Makena Ireri, Managing Director of Powering Opportunity, Global Energy Alliance. “When a farmer can process and store crops, or a small business can power equipment and grow, energy access becomes economic opportunity. This partnership will help strengthen the links between electrification, agriculture and enterprise so that energy access translates into more jobs, growing incomes and stronger local economies.”
According to the organisations, the Nairobi-based Centre of Excellence will support governments and development partners through technical assistance, knowledge sharing, coordination and market development initiatives aimed at scaling productive energy use across more than 20 African countries.
The programme will also support implementation through Mission 300 National Energy Compacts and Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units in participating countries.
The partnership will focus on four key areas, including embedded technical expertise within National Energy Compacts, development of practical tools and data for policymakers and investors, stronger coordination across funding and investment pipelines, and support for businesses through improved access to finance and market opportunities.
The initiative is expected to strengthen national programmes targeting smallholder farmers, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as underserved communities, while helping countries translate electrification projects into measurable economic outcomes.
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