NEW YORK, Sept 25 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — TANZANIA is set to host an African energy summit aimed at raising 190 billion US dollars (about 519tri/-) to provide electricity to 300 million people across the continent by 2030.
This initiative stems from the sixth-phase government’s strategy to rapidly extend electricity access to rural and peri-urban areas, attracting the attention of the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to organise this significant meeting in January 2025.
They are impressed with the performance in the energy sector and the government’s strategy to bring electricity to rural areas—not just villages but every household.
“They have decided to convene a major summit in Africa that will bring together various stakeholders, international institutions and lenders to facilitate investments in electricity,” said Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa during a meeting on Africa’s energy agenda organised by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) in New York, USA.
Speaking to attendees at the meeting held at the Rockefeller Foundation, Majaliwa noted that President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has given her blessings for Tanzania to host this summit.
He said that the summit, co-organised by the World Bank, AfDB and the African Union Commission, is expected to connect world leaders, industry experts and civil society organisations in seeking ways to ensure reliable energy access, advanced clean energy technologies and sustainable policies.
“I commend the government of Norway and the Rockefeller Foundation for supporting the World Bank and AfDB’s efforts to ensure electricity reaches 300 million people by 2030. This initiative is crucial, especially for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, where over 600 million people lack electricity access. We cannot achieve sustainable development without urgently addressing this challenge,” he emphasised.
The Prime Minister thanked the World Bank and AfDB for their commitment to continue collaborating with the government to achieve Tanzania’s goal of electrifying every household by 2030.
Earlier, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, stated that 900 million women struggle without clean cooking energy, emphasising that cooking energy should be dignified.
“Every year, 130 million women need to access this service. We are losing many women and children due to the lack of this service,” he said.
Dr Adesina praised President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for effectively managing the energy sector, particularly in clean cooking energy production and expressed a desire to see the transition from traditional cooking methods to clean energy achieved by 2030.
Meanwhile, the President of Liberia, Joseph Boakai, who also attended the meeting, stressed that electricity is critical for human life and must be prioritised, as development cannot occur without it.
He pointed out that in Liberia, only a small percentage of the population has electricity, primarily in urban areas.
“In rural Liberia, many areas are in darkness and places with electricity do not reach 20 per cent. How can you plan development agendas without electricity? How can you go to the hospital when there is no power? This is a pressing issue and we should not wait any longer to address it,” he insisted.
In another development, Majaliwa stated that Tanzania stands with other nations supporting the strategy of leaving no one behind in building a better future for the youth.
He made this statement while contributing to a discussion at “The Future Starts Now,” which concluded the two-day Summit of the Future held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA.
“There is a need to prepare our youth to become better individuals. Let’s start today, not wait until tomorrow. We must provide them opportunities to participate in agriculture, livestock, fishing and the blue economy as a whole,” he said.
The Prime Minister, representing President Samia, will today participate in the official opening of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79).
He is accompanied among others by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, the Minister of State (Planning and Investment), Professor Kitila Mkumbo and the Minister for Health of Zanzibar, Nassor Ahmed Mazrui. — NNN-DAILYNEWS
