Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire 28 May 2025:
At a pivotal moment in Africa’s energy journey, civil society leaders, technical experts, private sector actors, and development finance institutions convened at a high-level side event titled “Energy4Real: How Civil Society Can Engage to Ensure Mission 300 Delivers on Energy Access in Africa”, held on the margins of the African Development Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan.
Co-hosted by the African Coalition for Sustainable Energy and Access (ACSEA), the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), and the Bank-Civil Society Coalition on Climate Change and Energy, the event produced a bold and unified communiqué, asserting civil society’s critical role in delivering a truly transformative energy future for the continent.
Reaffirming the Urgency and Redefining the Approach
Mission 300’s goal of connecting 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030 is a commendable ambition. However, participants emphasised that infrastructure alone does not equal impact. Without deliberate, institutionalised civil society engagement, the initiative risks repeating past top-down energy models that marginalised communities, reinforced inequities, and failed to deliver long-term change.
The communiqué affirms that energy access must be people-centred, rights-based, and accountable, anchored in inclusivity, transparency, and local ownership.
Key Outcomes and Demands
Participants issued the following key recommendations to the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and other stakeholders:
1. Adopt the “From Margins to Mandate” Framework
The four-pillar framework provides a clear, actionable pathway for embedding civil society in the governance and delivery of Mission 300:
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Governance and Representation
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Programmatic Co-Implementation
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Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
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Advocacy and Policy Influence
2. Redefine Partnerships
Move beyond conventional Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) toward Public-Private-Community Partnerships (PPCPs), a model that values communities not as beneficiaries, but as full partners in design, delivery, and oversight.
3. Leverage Alignment with the Six30 Campaign
With a shared vision of connecting 630 million Africans through $630 billion in financing by 2030, the alignment between Mission 300 and the Six30 Campaign offers a strategic opportunity to centre justice, inclusion, and grassroots innovation.
4. Operationalise Inclusion
The communiqué calls for:
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Dedicated financing for gender-responsive and pro-poor CSO initiatives
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Independent citizen audits and transparent grievance redress mechanisms
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Structured participation of women, youth, and marginalised groups at all stages of the project cycle
A Vision for Real, Lasting Energy Access
“We envision an Africa where energy is not a privilege, but a right. Where no woman walks miles for firewood, where children study under light, and where electricity powers not only homes, but opportunity, equity, and dignity.”
This communiqué is a collective call to ensure that Mission 300 delivers Energy for Real, not just more connections, but lasting transformation rooted in social justice, community ownership, and democratic accountability.
Download the Full Communiqué:Communiqué
