USA, 28 September 2025 – The European Commission said on Saturday it will provide €545 million ($638 million) in funding to expand renewable energy in Africa, with projects ranging from transmission lines in Côte d’Ivoire to rural electrification in Somalia and Cameroon.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the package in a video message to the Global Citizen Festival, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“The choices Africa makes today are shaping the future of the entire world,” von der Leyen said.
“A clean energy transition on the continent will create jobs, stability, growth and the delivery of our global climate goals,” she added.
According to the Commission, the funding is part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and will support electrification, modernisation of power grids and access to renewable energy.
Projects include €359.4 million ($420 million) for a high-voltage line in Côte d’Ivoire, €59.1 million ($69 million) for rural electrification in Cameroon, €45.5 million ($51 million) for renewable access in Somalia, and €33.2 million ($39 million) for rural mini-grids in Madagascar. Smaller initiatives are planned in Mozambique, Lesotho, Republic of Congo, Ghana and Central Africa.
The EU said the campaign, run jointly with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and advocacy group Global Citizen, will continue at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels in October and at the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November.