Kenya and Senegal tied for first place in the African Development Bank’s 2024 Electricity Regulatory Index, which measures power sector governance and regulatory performance across 43 African countries.
The comprehensive assessment, unveiled Friday, June 20, 2025, at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, showed Uganda, Liberia and Niger completing the top five performers, with Niger recording one of the biggest improvements.
Both Kenya and Senegal scored 0.892 points, reflecting strong progress in tariff reform, regulatory outcomes and utility performance, according to the index results.
The study found that 41 of 43 participating countries achieved regulatory governance scores above 0.5, a significant increase from 24 countries in 2022. Countries scoring below 0.5 dropped from 19 in 2022 to six in 2024.
The regulatory outcomes index, which tracks service delivery and utility performance, showed the most substantial improvement, surging from roughly 0.40 in 2022 to 0.62 in 2024.
“The 2024 ERI shows that Africa’s regulators are stepping up,” said Dr. Kevin Kariuki, AfDB vice president for power, energy, climate and green growth.
“We are now seeing stronger institutions delivering real results for utilities and consumers. This shift is critical if we are to achieve Mission 300 and connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030.”
The index evaluates three dimensions: regulatory governance, regulatory substance and regulatory outcomes. Even the lowest-performing country tripled its score from about 0.10 to 0.33.
For the first time, the 2024 index assessed regional regulatory bodies, recognising their role in harmonising technical standards and enabling cross-border electricity trade.
The report identified priority areas for improvement, including strengthening regulatory independence, enhancing accountability mechanisms, promoting transparency and improving stakeholder participation.
“The ERI 2024 tells a hopeful story,” said Wale Shonibare, director for energy financial solutions, policy and regulation at the bank.
“African countries are not just passing laws – they are implementing them. Regulators are transforming from administrative bodies into strategic institutions with measurable influence.”
However, challenges related to independence, financing and enforcement persist, the report noted.
The index continues to inform the design of national energy compacts, currently active in 12 countries with another 20 in development as part of the Mission 300 initiative to expand electricity access.
Launched in 2018, the Electricity Regulatory Index serves as a diagnostic tool for governments, regulators and development partners to identify gaps and track reform progress.
By Winston Mwale, AfricaBrief