The African Development Bank Group’s Board of Directors has approved €173.84 million for Rwanda’s Energy Sector Result-Based Financing (RBF II) program. This initiative aims to modernize Rwanda’s electricity infrastructure, expand clean energy access, and enhance institutional capacity within the sector.
An additional €86.92 million in co-financing will be provided by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), bringing the total value of the RBF II program to €260.76 million. This latest funding builds upon the success of a previous $305 million result-based program approved by the African Development Bank in 2018, signaling Rwanda’s continued reliance on performance-based financing models to address its energy sector needs.
RBF II aligns with Rwanda’s Energy Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP II 2024–2029), targeting improvements in the quality of life, economic development, and poverty reduction through energy-related investments. The program focuses on modernizing and expanding electricity networks, increasing access to on-grid and off-grid energy solutions and clean cooking technologies, and building institutional and technical capacity.
Under the program, 200,000 households and 850 productive use customers will be connected to the national grid. It will also deliver 50,000 off-grid electricity connections, distribute clean cooking devices to 100,000 households and 310 public institutions, and install street lighting along 200 kilometers of roads in Rwanda’s secondary cities.
RBF II contributes to the African Development Bank’s High-5 priorities—specifically “Light up and Power Africa” and “Improve the Quality of Life of the People of Africa.” It also supports the joint Mission 300 Initiative by the AfDB and World Bank, which aims to provide electricity to 300 million Africans by 2030.