Arlington, VA – U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong will travel to Côte d’Ivoire from March 16-19 to champion the mobilization of green and sustainable financing for Africa’s infrastructure priorities. She will also announce USTDA’s grant-based project preparation support to strengthen Côte d’Ivoire’s electrical grid and improve efficiency and logistics at the Port of Abidjan.

“Green and sustainable financing has become the fastest-growing global asset class, but most of these transactions have been focused on developed economies. Our goal is to shift attention toward climate-focused financing for Africa’s infrastructure priorities,” said Director Ebong. “Careful structuring of these projects will be essential. This is where USTDA’s project preparation assistance can play a critical role. It can help mobilize the financing that is needed for project implementation while creating business opportunities for U.S. industry.”

Director Ebong will open USTDA’s U.S.-Africa Green and Sustainable Financing Workshop, hosted in collaboration with the African Development Bank. She will speak to U.S. and African project development and financing stakeholders about solutions to help narrow the large financing gap for the continent’s climate-smart infrastructure priorities.

Director Ebong will also highlight USTDA’s support of Africa50’s Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA) initiative to raise capital for transformational climate infrastructure. In support of this goal, USTDA has dedicated funding to identify green infrastructure candidate projects that require grant-based project preparation. These prospective activities would be structured to address the lending requirements of AGIA’s financing partners.

While in Abidjan, Director Ebong will announce new USTDA funding to strengthen the national power grid. Specifically, the Agency has approved a feasibility study grant to state-owned power transmission company Côte d’Ivoire Energies that will help develop a power grid emergency control system to increase the grid’s stability and reduce blackouts. When implemented, the system will be the first of its kind deployed on the continent and could serve as a model for other countries.

Director Ebong will also tour the Port of Abidjan, which will benefit from a USTDA-funded feasibility study and pilot project to reduce traffic congestion and improve cargo flows in the area. The Agency’s grant to Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Transport will help develop a truck parking and logistics center using technologies from Virginia-based NTELX, Inc. The project builds on insights from a previous USTDA-funded reverse trade mission that brought officials to the United States to view U.S. innovations.

USTDA has a rich ongoing portfolio in Côte d’Ivoire, including projects to generate clean energy through decentralized solar minigrids for up to 100 communities and a power plant in the Boundiali region that will transform cotton stalk biomass into energy for the national grid. USTDA has also funded reverse trade missions to bring Ivoirians to the United States for a firsthand look at U.S. technologies, best practices, and financing to address their priorities, including a 2022 activity on port logistics and an upcoming mission dedicated to cybersecurity.

The portfolio in Côte d’Ivoire advances numerous Biden-Harris Administration priorities, including the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa, Prosper Africa, Power Africa and the Digital Transformation with Africa Initiative. The Agency’s programming also follows through on commitments made at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022.

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The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority infrastructure projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project preparation and partnership building activities that develop sustainable infrastructure and foster economic growth in partner countries.

MEDIA INQUIRIES: Paul Marin | press@ustda.gov