Sahara CEO, Kola Adesina, Joins Mission 300 Private Sector Council

• Says Africa’s energy future will be shaped by collaboration, conviction

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Chief Executive Officer of Sahara Group, Kola Adesina, has joined the Mission 300 Private Sector Council, a high-level initiative aimed at expanding electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030.

The council, convened by the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and The Rockefeller Foundation, brings together senior business leaders to mobilise investment and shape policy direction around Africa’s electrification drive.

Adesina’s appointment underscores the growing role of private capital in addressing what remains one of Africa’s most binding constraints to economic growth, the limited access to reliable power.

Roughly half of the continent’s population still lacks dependable electricity, a gap that continues to stifle industrialisation, weaken productivity, and slow digital innovation.

In a statement following his appointment, Adesina described his inclusion in the council as an opportunity to advance collaborative solutions to Africa’s energy challenges. He noted that delivering electricity at scale would depend on “coordinated partnerships, sustained private investment, and a strong pipeline of bankable projects” capable of translating policy ambition into tangible outcomes.

Drawing on Sahara Group’s footprint across energy and infrastructure, he pointed to the company’s experience in developing, financing, and operating power assets as a basis for contributing to the council’s objectives.

 Through its subsidiary, Sahara Power Group, the firm, he said, has been involved in electricity generation and distribution projects designed to support industrial activity and broader economic transformation.

“I am honoured to join the Mission 300 Private Sector Council, a high-level platform convened by the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and The Rockefeller Foundation, with a shared ambition: to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

“Today, about half of Africa’s population still lacks access to reliable power. Closing this gap will require coordinated partnerships, sustained private investment, and a strong pipeline of bankable projects that translate policy ambition into measurable impact.

“Through Sahara Power Group, a Sahara Group subsidiary, we have spent decades developing, operating, and financing power assets that support industrial growth, economic transformation, and inclusive development across the continent. Building on this experience, Mission 300 offers a credible platform to deepen collaboration between governments, development institutions, and the private sector to deliver electricity responsibly and at scale.

“Reliable power is fundamental to unlocking Africa’s competitiveness, accelerating industrialisation, and enabling a dynamic, tech-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem. I look forward to contributing our experience as we work collectively to realise Africa’s energy potential.

“I welcome perspectives on what the Mission 300 Council should prioritise as we take on this critical task of bringing energy to life responsibly across Africa,” Adesina said in a statement.

Mission 300 is positioned as a platform to align governments, development finance institutions, and private operators around a shared electrification target. The initiative is expected to prioritise project development, regulatory coordination, and innovative financing structures to accelerate access, particularly in underserved and off-grid communities.

The council’s work will be spearheaded by Makhtar Diop of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is expected to play a central role in mobilising private investment and de-risking large-scale energy projects across the continent.

Besides, a letter inviting him to the organisation, signed by Valerie Levkov, Global Industry Director for Energy, Metals & Mining, and Sustainable Infrastructure, said: Please find attached a formal invitation to join the Mission 300 Private Sector Council, a group of senior private sector leaders coming together to help shape Africa’s electricity access agenda and unlock greater private investment across the continent. The work of the Council will be spearheaded by Makhtar Diop, IFC’s Managing Director.

“We would be honoured to have your perspective as a founding member of this Council. The attached letter outlines the purpose, scope, and expectations in more detail. We look forward to hearing from you…”