EVENT REPLAY

Presentations: 
- Mission 300: Latest Developments and Expert Insights
- Mission 300: Tracking Progress

Mission 300, launched in 2024 by the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and partners, aims to connect 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030. At the January 2025 Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Tanzania, government leaders endorsed the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, committing to advance critical reforms and actions across the energy sector. In response, Mission 300 partners pledged over $50 billion to accelerate access. Countries are now developing National Energy Compacts to prioritize reforms and outline public and private investment needs.

The Civil Society Energy Dialogue, held on September 4, 2025, convened civil society leaders to receive the latest updates on Mission 300 and its progress. The Dialogue also provided a platform to engage directly with the World Bank Mission 300 technical team—offering space to ask questions, raise concerns, and share solutions and innovations. Dean Bhebhe, a member of the Big Shift Campaign and the Africa Finance Watch Coalition, moderated the Dialogue.

Franz Dees-Gross, World Bank Regional Director for Western and Central Africa, provided an overview of Mission 300 and shared updates on national energy compacts, which are led and developed by African countries. He highlighted the important role civil society can play in providing input to these compacts, supporting and analyzing government efforts on monitoring and evaluation, and engaging in projects financed by the World Bank.

Mariia Melnyk, Energy Portfolio Monitoring Specialist, presented Mission 300’s monitoring approach and latest results, including where connection numbers are published, progress to date, and how the National Energy Compacts are being tracked. She noted that World Bank project-related materials are available on the World Bank’s project website, and that the Bank’s corporate scorecard tracks the number of people provided with access to electricity, available here.

The second part of the Dialogue focused on an open discussion, with participants sharing interventions and questions. It kicked off with questions around energy supply and value chains, maintenance of solar home systems, and how climate change and corporate social responsibility priorities are being integrated into current projects and decision-making. Participants also asked questions and shared comments about de-risking investment, industrial capacity, regional integration, and the use of nuclear power. Other topics included gender equality, the role of development policy financing, and the need for stronger civil society engagement in monitoring and governance. Across the conversation, recurring themes emerged around accountability, affordability, inclusivity, and practical strategies to scale renewable energy.

Karabo Mokgonyana, Campaigner for the Watt’s Up Africa Campaign, moderated a final discussion on meaningful civil society engagement in Mission 300, inviting ideas on strengthening collaboration, accountability, and action. She summarized five thematic priorities for CSO involvement identified through a pre-event survey: dialogue moving beyond consultation, monitoring and accountability, project implementation, gender and youth inclusion, and policy capacity building. Participants highlighted the importance of CSO involvement in ensuring transparency and accountability, while also advocating for financial support to build capacity for women and youth in the energy sector. The conversation ended with a call for further contributions and engagement from CSOs to ensure Mission 300's success.

SEE ALSO

Event: Civil Society Energy Dialogue, January 22, 2025

Introduction

  • Moderator: Bhekumuzi Dean Bhebhe, Member of Big Shift Global Campaign and the Africa Finance Watch coalition

Mission 300: Latest Developments and Expert Insights

  • Franz R. Drees-Gross, Director of Infrastructure, West Africa, World Bank

Mission 300: Tracking Progress

  • Mariia Melnyk, World Bank Infrastructure Vice Presidency, World Bank

CSO Interventions and questions

  • The discussion will be structured based on topics and questions gathered from CSOs in advance through a survey.

Shaping Engagement: CSO Perspectives on Ways to Engage

  • Moderator: Karabo Mokgonyana, Campaigner for the Watt’s Up Africa Campaign
  • This CSO-led discussion will focus on how CSOs would like to engage with the World Bank and partners on Mission 300.
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Bhekumuzi Dean Bhebhe Moderator

Bhekumuzi Dean Bhebhe is a PhD candidate at the University of the Witwatersrand and a 2018 Mandela Rhodes Scholar, with several years of experience designing and leading campaign and Just Transition strategies across Africa. In recognition of his work, he was named the 2025 Silver Award Winner of the Warrior for Good Award in the Climate Action and Environmental Action category.

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Karabo Mokgonyana Moderator

Karabo Mokgonyana is a Climate and Energy Senior Campaigns Associate at Power Shift Africa, where she leads advocacy and research efforts to accelerate Africa’s transition to sustainable energy. With a strong background in human rights, diversity and inclusion and climate security, she works with governments and grassroots organizations to advance equitable renewable energy solutions that are people-centred in the Global South. Karabo has worked with several multilaterals (e.g. African Union, United Nations and Commonwealth), civil society organizations (e.g. CIVICUS, Change.org, Environmental Law Institute) and government entities (e.g. GIZ, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) on inclusion and effective representation in developing sustainable development programs and policies. She holds a Master's in International Law from the University of Witwatersrand and has been granted several awards for the work that she does, to name a few, 2024 Social Justice Rising Star of the Year, 50 Most Powerful Women in South Africa by Mail and Guardian, Outstanding Youth Philanthropist by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature and 100 Most Influential Young Africans by Avance Media. Her insights on renewable energy, climate action, and sustainable development have been widely published in platforms such as Mail & Guardian, Business Live, and other leading African and international media.

Franz Drees-Gross

Franz Drees-Gross Speaker

Franz Drees-Gross, a US and German national, serves as Director of Infrastructure in the World Bank’s Africa West region. Prior to this position, he was Director of Infrastructure for the Latin America and the Caribbean region. He has previously served as Practice Director in the Bank’s Transport and Digital Development Global Practice, Director of Strategy and Operations in the Office of the World Bank’s Chief Executive Officer and Country Director for the Pacific. He has been based in World Bank offices in Buenos Aires, Jakarta and Sydney as well as in Washington DC.

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Mariia Melnyk Speaker

Mariia Melnyk is an Energy Portfolio Monitoring Specialist focused on tracking and reporting the progress of Mission 300. She manages the Mission 300 portfolio and monitors the implementation of Compact commitments. Before this role, Mariia worked as an Energy Economist with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE).