DAR ES SALAAM—Tanzanian officials announced that preparations are in full swing for the African Heads of State Energy Summit, set to take place on January 27-28.

This event, also called the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit, aims to speed up energy access across Africa. Noel Kaganda, a director from Tanzania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the summit will bring together over 1,500 participants, including representatives from the African Union, African Development Bank, and World Bank. Kaganda explained that the summit is a chance for governments, businesses, development partners, and civil society to work towards providing electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.

Innocent Luoga, an official from the Ministry of Energy, shared that 14 African countries will support the Africa Energy Compact, a plan to achieve universal energy access by 2030. These countries represent 52% of the global population without electricity and a large share of people without clean cooking solutions.

Tanzania’s government spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa, said the country is increasing its electricity production. He highlighted the Julius Nyerere Hydroelectric Power Project (JNHP), which is already generating 1,410 megawatts and is expected to reach 2,115 megawatts when completed this year. Msigwa also mentioned additional plans for renewable energy projects, including geothermal, solar, and wind, which are projected to add 1,100 megawatts to Tanzania's energy supply.