President Bola Tinubu has wrapped up his visit to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he joined other African leaders at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit.
Arriving on Sunday, the Nigerian leader participated in the two-day event hosted by the Tanzanian government in collaboration with the African Union (AU), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the World Bank Group.
The Summit culminated in the adoption of the Dar es Salaam Declaration, a collective agreement aimed at providing electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.
At the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, leaders from 12 nations, including Nigeria, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia, signed the Declaration.
Through this document, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to electricity access via National Energy Compacts tailored to address their countries’ unique energy challenges.
In a speech delivered by Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, President Tinubu expressed gratitude to the African Development Bank, the World Bank Group, and development partners for their support of Africa’s energy ambitions.
“Let us work together to create a brighter future for our citizens—where every African can access reliable and affordable energy. A future where our industries thrive, our economies grow, and our people prosper,” the President said.
He also reiterated Nigeria’s determination to provide reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity to its unelectrified population by 2030.
“This is an ambitious goal, but we can achieve it together. As Nigeria’s President, I am committed to making energy access a top priority,” he affirmed.
President Tinubu detailed Nigeria’s energy sector achievements, highlighting international partnerships.
The AfDB’s $1.1 billion investment is projected to bring electricity to five million Nigerians by the end of 2026, while $200 million from the Nigeria Electrification Project will benefit 500,000 people by 2025.
“We also look forward to the AfDB’s planned $700 million investment in the Nigeria Desert to Power programme and its $500 million facility for the Nigeria-Grid Battery Energy Storage System, which will provide electricity for an additional two million people.
“We have equally begun making plans to ensure the effectiveness of the World Bank’s $750 million support for expanding Nigeria’s distributed energy access via mini-grids and standalone solar systems that will provide access to power to 16.2 million people,” he said.
President Tinubu thanked Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, and Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the AfDB, for their leadership in advancing Africa’s energy access goals.
“As we all know, Africa is rich in energy resources, yet millions of our citizens still lack access to reliable and affordable energy. This situation is unacceptable. It is our responsibility to take collective action to change this narrative,” he added.
The Nigerian leader emphasised ongoing renewable energy investments, particularly in solar power, and announced significant strides in electric vehicle (EV) adoption.
“For example, the federal government is in the final stages of developing an electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure programme emphasising renewable energy and establishing stricter vehicle emission standards.
“This will ease adoption barriers, galvanise partnerships, and provide affordable EV financing options. I am pleased to announce that the first 100 electric buses are already in the country.
“Nigeria’s energy sector is growing as a direct result of our reforms. The Nigerian government continues incentivising those interested in investing in renewable energy, oil and gas energy efficiency,” he stated.
President Tinubu noted that Nigeria attracted over $6 billion in new energy sector investments in 2024 and aims to build on this success in 2025 and beyond.
At the Summit, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) committed $70 million in private sector funding to five Nigerian Renewable Electricity Service Companies (RESCOs) under the Nigeria Distributed Access Through Renewable Energy Scale-Up (DARES) programme. This initiative will be implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
Nigeria’s National Energy Compact, presented during the Summit, outlined a roadmap for achieving energy access goals. These include expanding power generation, investing in transmission and distribution infrastructure, ensuring financially viable utilities, and incentivising private sector participation to unlock additional resources.
Other reforms focus on distributed renewable energy, clean cooking solutions, and increased regional integration. Achieving last-mile electrification in Nigeria will require $23.2 billion in investment, with contributions from public and private sectors.
