Panel Discussion at Energy4Real event.
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:
- 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:
Governance and Representation
Programmatic Co-Implementation
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
Advocacy and Policy Influence
- 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.
- 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.
- Operationalise Inclusion
The communiqué calls for:
Dedicated financing for gender-responsive and pro-poor CSO initiatives
Independent citizen audits and transparent grievance redress mechanisms
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.