DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Development partners have pledged funds to support the implementation of Mission 300, an ambitious initiative to connect 300 million people to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB).

In an address at the opening session of the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam Monday, AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina said the Islamic Development Bank announced 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in support, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 1.5 billion dollars and the OPEC Fund 2 billion dollars.

Adesina said the AfDB and the World Bank would commit 40 billion dollars toward Mission 300, with 18.2 billion dollars from the AfDB and 22 billion dollars from the World Bank Group. He said access to electricity is critical to Africa's economic growth, adding that the lack of adequate electricity reduces Africa's gross domestic product by 2 percent to 4 percent annually.

Adesina said in implementing Mission 300, critical reforms will be needed to expand the share of renewables, improve the functioning and performance of utilities, and ensure transparency in licensing, power purchase agreements, and predictable tariff regimes that reflect the cost of production.

"The private sector will also be critical in expanding mini-grids and off-grid systems to reach millions of people without access to grid-based power in rural areas," said the AfDB chief.

Opening the summit that brought together 25 African heads of state and 2,600 delegates, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said Mission 300 would help accelerate her country's ambitious national clean cooking strategy aimed at ensuring that 80 percent of Tanzanians use clean cooking solutions by the year 2034. Enditem

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