By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has committed to increase access to electricity by Malawians to 70 percent from the current 25 by 2030, to align with Mission 300, a World Bank and African Development Bank initiative aimed at ensuring that 300 million Africans are connected to electricity by 2030.
The President made the commitment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on Tuesday during a Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit where 13 African Heads of State, their representatives and other partners attended.
Speaking at the summit, Chakwera said the dream of connecting 300 million people by 2030 can only be achieved if countries focus on regional integration, creating an enabling environment for the private sector and make power utilities financially viable.
“Africa faces a stark reality: nearly 600 million of our people lack access to electricity, and close to one billion do not have access to clean cooking solutions.
“These figures are not just statistics; they are stories of a huge potential left unrealized, they are stories of communities held back from progress. As leaders, we must match these challenges with the urgency they demand,” he said.
Chakwera said in a bid to realize these goals, Malawi has embarked on an ambitious journey to ensure energy access for all.
He said the country`s national energy compact and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 is a blue print for transformation.
“My administration has already increased access to electricity from 12 percent when I took office four years ago to 25 percent now,” he said.
During the summit, African Heads of State adopted the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration.
The declaration outlines commitments and practical actions from African governments to reform the energy sector and the first set of National Energy Compacts which will serve as blueprints with country specific targets and timelines for implementation of critical reforms.
Discussions focused on accelerating energy access in undeserved regions, energy efficiency and mobilizing private sector investment, among others.
Among African leaders who attended the summit were Nigerian President, Bola Tunubu; William Ruto of Kenya, Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia and Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
President Chakwera is expected to return to Malawi on Wednesday according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lilongwe.
