The U.S. government has dismantled its Power Africa initiative, a decade-old program aimed at expanding electricity access across the continent, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, nearly all of Power Africa’s programs have been marked for termination, with most of its staff dismissed. Some remaining initiatives—particularly those that facilitate connections between energy projects and U.S. companies—could be absorbed by other government agencies.
Launched in 2013 under former President Barack Obama, Power Africa was designed to provide electricity to tens of millions of households across Africa. However, a State Department spokesperson told Bloomberg that each program is under review to determine whether it aligns with U.S. interests.
“Programs that serve our nation’s interests will continue. However, programs that aren’t aligned with our national interest will not,” a State Department official stated in response to Bloomberg’s inquiries.
The U.S. State Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Power Africa operated under the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and has now become one of the first major programs to be cut as part of federal budget reduction efforts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
