Evaluation of the AfDB’s Support to the Energy Sector in Africa

IDEV has carried out an evaluation of the Bank’s support to the energy sector for the period 1999-2018. During this period, the Bank committed nearly 18 billion USD to 306 projects in its Regional Member Countries (RMCs). Almost half of the funds went to power generation. The rest went to national grid upgrade, regional interconnection and budget support, respectively. The evaluation aimed to help the Bank’s Management to account for its investments by determining the extent to which the Bank has contributed to the development of the energy sector in the RMCs; and to learn from its operational experience by identifying lessons on how the Bank can contribute most effectively to improving the performance of the energy sector.

Some key findings include:

• While the Bank’s support to the energy sector was relevant, there were problems in long-term sector planning, risk assessment, resource allocation and tracking of progress, among others.
• The Bank delivered better access to electricity, though challenges were noted in improving sector governance, RMC’s regulatory frameworks and increasing the affordability of energy services, especially to the poor.
• Overall, the sustainability of the achievements from energy sector interventions was deemed to be likely, although the precarious financial sustainability of the sector threatens the long-term sustainability of the results achieved.   

The evaluation advised the Bank to increase funding to the RMCs and the private sector for sustainable energy access, to increase support towards the capacities of RMCs to formulate and implement comprehensive energy policies, and to improve the management, measurement and reporting of the Bank’s assistance to the energy sector.

Task Manager: Joseph Mouanda - Chief Evaluation Officer