Côte d’Ivoire Faces $6.56 Billion Hurdle in Universal Power Drive

Since the launch of the National Energy Compact in early 2025, the country has successfully connected 3.56 million people to the grid. While these 684,735 new connections mark significant progress, the broader goals remain ambitious: reaching 50 percent clean cooking access and a 45 percent renewable energy share. Currently, only five of the initiative's 23 defined actions are complete, with six projects lagging behind schedule.

Souleymane Soro, deputy chief of staff to the energy minister, emphasized that the government is focusing on project readiness and regulatory reforms to attract private capital. Wale Shonibare of the African Development Bank noted that while Côte d’Ivoire benefits from an established electricity system and regional trade influence, the pace of execution remains the primary obstacle. To address this, the government has implemented high-level institutional oversight to manage risks and align project development with international financing partners, including the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank. These efforts are part of the broader Mission 300 initiative, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million people across Africa by the end of the decade.