‘Africa Can Lead Clean Energy Transition,' Deputy Secretary-General Tells Region’s Energy Summit

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the opening of the African Heads of State Energy Summit, in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, today:

It is a pleasure to join you here all today.  I extend my heartfelt thanks to Her Excellency President Hassan and her Government of the United Republic of Tanzania for hosting the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit.

But, I would also like to underscore that it is because of her incredible leadership and her vision, that we are all here today and gathered as an African continent.  I would also thank the African Union for keeping the fire under our feet to do right thing for the continent.

Congratulations to my two brothers, the African Development Bank Group, Akin, and the World Bank Group, Ajay.  These are incredible partnerships, that bring genuine experience, decades of work from the public sector to the private sector.

That is why we are looking to them for the success of this union.  But, we also look to the Rockefeller Foundation for a strong and meaningful partnership — one that brings key stakeholders together in this room.  Your bold investments are a testament to Africa’s potential for a sustainable and resilient future.

Today, Africa has one of the lowest levels of energy access, as we have heard, but it is also one of the most vulnerable to intensifying climate shocks.

Yet, our continent is rich in renewable energy resources and critical minerals.  Which are all essential for the energy transition, and benefit from limited sunk costs in fossil fuel-intensive energy infrastructures.  Africa is also home to a vibrant, young and enterprising population.

This provides immense potential for Africa to show the rest of the world what a new economic development paradigm grounded in sustainability, resilience, justice and inclusivity can look like.

Enhanced energy access, affordability and reliability is not only crucial for achieving our Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, but also serves as a catalyst for broader development goals.  Access to clean and sustainable energy underpins progress in health, in education, in gender equality, while driving economic growth and climate action — many of the 17 Goals.

By advancing long-term energy security and sovereignty, we can foster peace, we can create green jobs and build resilient livelihoods — paving the way for improved stability and prosperity across the continent.

With renewables now being the cheapest source of new electricity almost everywhere on earth, Mission 300’s bold commitment to connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030 represents a transformative opportunity for Africa.

Combined with systemic initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, Africa is uniquely positioned to lead the global energy transition.

By powering essential sectors such as healthcare, education and commerce, bolstering industries like solar manufacturing, grid infrastructure and clean energy solutions, renewable energy can unlock unprecedented economic potential.

With reliable energy access, the continent’s 147 million small and medium-sized enterprises — key drivers of economic growth — will have the tools to scale, innovate and create jobs, turning energy into a true catalyst for inclusive and sustainable progress.

The United Republic of Tanzania stands as a shining example of how rural electrification and off-grid renewable energy solutions can transform lives, particularly in remote and underserved areas.

The country has made remarkable strides, with electricity access increasing from just 14 per cent in 2011 to 46 per cent in 2022.  And what does that mean?  It has led to over 1 million new connections, driving the rural electrification rate to 72 per cent. 

In November 2024, more than 60,000 social institutions were connected by REA [Rural Electrification Agency], benefiting 12,905 educational institutions, 6,768 health facilities, over 8,000 places of worship and 29,000 commercial areas.

This progress means that more boys and girls in remote areas can now study in well-lit classrooms, health workers can deliver life-saving services to off-grid populations and rural businesses can thrive with reliable power.  The United Republic of Tanzania demonstrates how energy access is not just about electricity — it’s about opportunity, equity and the foundation of a brighter future and a life in dignity for everyone.

We must ensure that Mission 300 seizes the opportunity that lies ahead.  With five years to the endpoint of the SDGs and having completed the first decade of implementing the African Union’s Agenda 2063, it is clear that transformation efforts remain insufficient.

I would like to deeply commend the African leadership that is here today, as you seek solutions to address Africa’s energy access, climate vulnerability and development challenges holistically.

We must accelerate our collective efforts to fast-track solutions for SDG7, but also the Paris Agreement and propel Africa to become a clean energy powerhouse.  This requires urgent action in three key areas beyond this Summit.

First, creating the right enabling environment to attract scaled private and public investments through stronger, stable and more coherent policy and regulatory frameworks.

We are very pleased to see — thank you, Ajay — the private sector that is here today and we hope they will accompany us through this very difficult but at the end profitable journey.

This year, every party to the UN Climate Convention has committed to submit a new economy-wide national climate action plan, that is aligned with the 1.5°C world that we need, well before COP30 [thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] in November.

If done right, these climate plans should align with national energy strategies and development priorities — and they would doubling as investment plans to seize the potential of renewables, helping to eradicate poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

Furthermore, the Secretary-General's panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals offers important Principles and Actionable Recommendations to ensure we do not repeat historical patterns of exploitation on this continent.

Second, mobilizing affordable, accessible and adequate finance. The chronic underinvestment in renewable energy in Africa, and long-standing structural barriers, such as exorbitant capital costs, mean that a continent with the potential to be a renewable powerhouse accounts for less than one percent of global installed solar capacity.

It is why we are calling for an SDG Stimulus to scale up affordable, long-term financing for developing countries, and for the “Baku-to-Belém Roadmap to $1.3 trillion” to bridge the climate finance gap by leveraging all sources and by addressing unjust and structural barriers.

Last year’s Pact of the Future sent an unequivocal message — reform of the international finance architecture is urgent and essential to:

And this Pact would have not gotten over the line, if not for the leadership of the African leaders in the United Nations.  It spoke to strengthening the voice and the representation of developing countries.  It spoke to mobilizing far greater levels of financing for the SDGs, and directing that financing to countries most in need.  It spoke to enabling countries to borrow sustainably, and with confidence, to invest in their long-term development.  But, it also spoke to provide effective and equal support to countries during systemic shocks.

Finally, multilateralism — our international cooperation — still remains our best hope for delivering solutions at the necessary scale and speed.

And I note to many of us, as I look to the geopolitical challenges that we have today.  Multilateralism does not seem like the best offer on the table — but it is.  It is a place that we come to.  It is a global town hall for our global village.  It is where we have visibility and where we can shine a light on the opportunities.  But, also, where we can give hope to the millions that look to us — to serve them.

The United Nations remains dedicated to supporting your efforts every step of the way.  Through our UN expertise and presence in the country, we are committed to supporting Mission 300, the African Development Bank and the World Bank.  And we are committed to help identify and attract investments, strengthen policy, and secure the support you need to make Mission 300 a success.

Finally, I would like to also commend our Special Representative.  It is not often that we have women in leadership positions.  Today, we are hosted by a great leader that is a woman. But, we also have the Special Representative of the UN on Sustainable Energy for All, Damilola Ogunbiyi, who is playing a critical role within the Mission 300.

In this critical countdown to 2030, let us ensure that Mission 300 delivers concrete outcomes towards the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2063.

Let us seize this moment to accelerate and to deliver transformative progress.  Together, I am sure that Africa can lead the clean energy transition, creating lasting prosperity and resilience for generations to come and actions and aspiration fulfilled today for our women and our youth.