Yemisi Izuora
The World Bank has charged African countries to double efforts in dealing with energy shortages to accelerate job creation and economic growth is urgent and energy is the backbone – powering business, productivity and capital development.
Each year, up to 12 million young Africans enter the labor market but just 3 million wage jobs are created, the Bank said.
According to a report released by the Bank, Improving access to reliable, affordable electricity is critical to addressing Africa’s job challenges and attracting the investment needed to create employment for a growing population.
It observed that unreliable power already costs jobs: frequent blackouts are estimated to reduce employment rates by 5 to 14 percentage points across the continent.
Beyond access, reliable electricity enables human capital, technology adoption and innovation, private investment, and building inclusive value chains—all essential to creating more and better jobs in Africa.
Addressing the jobs challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa and reaping its demographic dividend – with the working-age population expected to increase by over 600 million people between now and 2050 – will require fostering an ecosystem that facilitates private-sector development and firm growth. Central to this is expanding access to reliable and affordable electricity—for households, communities, businesses, and industries alike.
However it said its Mission 300 an ambitious effort is designed to provide electricity access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030 in partnership with the African Development Bank and a broad coalition of partners, including Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Energy Alliance.
Through this effort, its has connected close to 43 million people to electricity while also powering commercial, industrial, and social infrastructure.
Electricity connections act as the bedrock, powering everything from households to large-scale industries, agriculture to healthcare.
Without this essential platform, businesses struggle to thrive, and public services remain limited.
Mission 300 is supporting Africa to deliver affordable power, expand electricity access, boost utility efficiency, attract private investment, and improve regional energy integration that will drive economic transformation.