Dar es Salaam. The two-day Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit is set to begin today at the Julius Nyerere Convention Center in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania. The summit aims to accelerate energy development across Africa and will bring together African leaders and key energy stakeholders from around the continent.

Hosted by the government of the United Republic of Tanzania, the African Union, the African Development Bank Group, and the World Bank Group, the summit will be attended by Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, 24 heads of state from across Africa, 24 government representatives, heads of international institutions and over 2,600 registered participants.

High-profile dignitaries have already arrived in Dar es Salaam, including the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio; the President of the World Bank, Mr. Ajay Banga; and the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akin Adesina, among others.

According to a statement from the World Bank, the summit will provide an opportunity for governments, private sector leaders, development partners, and civil society to advance the ambitious goal set by the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group in April 2024 which is to provide electricity access to 300 million people by 2030.

In a welcoming message to distinguished guests, President Samia emphasized the summit’s role as a platform for consolidating commitments and announcing new partnerships to help achieve the 2030 electricity connectivity goal for Africa.

“This summit marks a historic moment in our collective efforts to accelerate energy access across Africa and to take bold actions to power our continent’s future,” said President Samia, who is hosting the summit.

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Tanzania is hosting the summit amid significant progress in electrifying the country. As of 2022, approximately 46 percent of households in Tanzania had access to electricity, according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7.1.1 definition, up from 32.8 percent in 2015/16, due to various government initiatives.

With the inauguration of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant and Dam, expected to generate 2,115 megawatts of electricity, and other energy connectivity initiatives, Tanzania is on track to meet both national and international energy connectivity goals.