Rockefeller Foundation to Expand Mission 300 Fellowship Program to at least 18 African Countries

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, March 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- During Mission 300 Day at the 2026 Africa Energy Indaba, The Rockefeller Foundation announced that it is collaborating with nonprofit impact accelerator CoAction Global to expand support for technical assistance fellowships to at least 18 African countries in support of the World Bank Group and African Development Bank effort to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. Working to support countries' National Energy Compact Delivery and Monitoring Units (CDMUs), four additional "Mission 300 Fellows" will assist with overall efforts to drive electrification progress, while the first four "Clean Cooking Fellows" will help strengthen institutional capacity to develop investable projects. Supported by the Mission 300 Accelerator, an initiative of The Rockefeller Foundation's public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC), the philanthropic organization also announced that 13 of the initial cohort of "Mission 300 Fellows" are already providing technical support in CDMUs in Burundi, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.

"It's clear these fellows are making a difference, helping cut through red tape and increasing the rate of electrification in their countries. We are proud to expand this program in support of Mission 300, so we can continue improving people's lives and livelihoods by giving them the tools they need to thrive," said William Asiko, Vice President of Africa at The Rockefeller Foundation.

Today, more than 730 million people still lack access to basic electricity, with an estimated 600 million living in Africa. This shortage hinders healthcare, education, digital inclusion, women and children empowerment, the creation of local jobs, building economic opportunity, and more. In addition, approximately one billion people in Africa rely on traditional fuels such as wood and charcoal, which significantly increases household air pollution for families, especially for women and children, and the associated health risks that cause more than 810,000 premature deaths every year in sub-Saharan Africa.

Led by the World Bank and African Development Bank, Mission 300 is an ambitious initiative to combat energy poverty and unlock opportunity by expanding electricity to 300 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. During the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in January 2025, African government leaders endorsed the Dar es Salaam Energy Declaration, which affirms their joint commitment to advance critical reforms and actions across the energy sector to increase access to electricity and clean cooking, increase the share of renewable energy, and increase private capital mobilization. To date, Mission 300 has connected approximately 44 million people to electricity.  

The Rockefeller Foundation's Mission 300 Fellowship ProgramWith support from The Rockefeller Foundation in association with the Mission 300 Accelerator, the original cohort of 14 "Mission 300 Fellows" were selected by CoAction Global for two-year fellowships, out of 3,000 applications from nearly every African country. Currently, 13 are working to provide technical assistance to CDMUs to help increase electrification rates in Burundi, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, with one additional country nearly finalized. With the expansion of this fellowship program, an additional four fellows are in the pipeline based on growing demand and an extremely strong pool of African candidates.

Designed to support key gaps that will accelerate access to energy in each market, while also aligning to overall Mission 300 priorities, fellows have the unique opportunity to gain firsthand experience addressing pressing country needs while making meaningful contributions to the advancement of the energy sector in Africa. Examples of fellow engagement include, but are not limited to: 

The Rockefeller Foundation with the Mission 300 Accelerator and the nonprofit Energy Corps are providing additional support to CoAction Global to develop a cohort of "Clean Cooking Fellows" to strengthen institutional capacity to develop investable projects within countries' CDMUs.

"Mission 300 Fellows represent some of the brightest emerging leaders on the African continent, drawing on their lived experiences, with nuance and innovation, to address longstanding electrification challenges in some of the most complex environments. Although they have only been deployed to CDMUs for a few months, their significant contributions already demonstrate that this model works. CoAction Global is deeply grateful for the support of The Rockefeller Foundation's RF Catalytic Capital, as well as Energy Corps, which enables us to nurture the next generation of African energy leaders. This is what accelerating impact looks like," said Stephanie Kumah, CoAction Global's Operations and Partnerships Manager for the Mission 300 Fellowship.

As part of the new Clean Cooking Accelerator Initiative launched by The Rockefeller Foundation, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, Clean Cooking Alliance, and Energy Corps during the International Energy Agency's 2026 Ministerial, four new "Clean Cooking Fellows" will be selected over the coming months to help further efforts to scale modern cooking technologies in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Also announced during Mission 300 Day at the 2026 Africa Energy Indaba, The Rockefeller Foundation is:

Statements of Support

Regarding "Mission 300 Fellows" working in CDMUs in Lesotho and Liberia:

Regarding "Mission 300 Fellows" working in Chad and Liberia:

About The Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity in food, health, energy, and finance, including with our public charity, RF Catalytic Capital (RFCC). For more information, sign up for our newsletter at www.rockefellerfoundation.org/subscribe and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn and LinkedIn @the-rockefeller-foundation. 

About CoAction Global CoAction Global is an independent nonprofit impact accelerator providing a vital link between people and places to generate economic prosperity in some of the world's most challenging contexts. As an operational catalyst, the organization connects local leadership and ideas with global capabilities to advance economic opportunity, drive community investment, and convene partnerships that propel sustainability, innovation and empowerment. For more information, please visit coactionglobal.org, sign up for updates, and follow us on LinkedIn @coaction-global-org.