USTDA Regional Brief - Sub-Saharan Africa

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) places a high priority on sub-Saharan Africa in supporting projects designed to facilitate economic development. In fact, one of the agency's first grants was signed in Tanzania in 1981. Since then, USTDA has invested over $90 million in the region, which have resulted in over $1 billion in U.S. exports associated with partnerships between African project sponsors and U.S. firms. The downstream impact of USTDA funding is expected to increase substantially as more projects move toward implementation. As the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) continues to raise interest in African private sector expansion, USTDA expects a continued demand for its specialized funding services in the region.

USTDA helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project planning activities, pilot projects, and reverse trade missions while creating sustainable infrastructure and economic growth in partner countries.

The following list describes some recent projects USTDA has supported in sub-Saharan Africa:

Regional

East African Community e-Health Workshop – In November 2010, this workshop brought together public and private sector decision-makers who are responsible for delivering healthcare solutions in the five East African Community (EAC) countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda) in Kigali, Rwanda. It explored the policies, technologies, and programs to facilitate the delivery of effective e-health solutions in the region.

Southern Africa Solar Power Technologies – This reverse trade mission (RTM), which took place in October 2010, included public and private sector representatives from Southern Africa's solar power sector (Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa). The RTM exposed the region's key decision makers to innovative U.S. technologies, equipment, and services, as well as policies, regulations, and financing mechanisms to support the implementation of large-scale solar projects in Southern Africa.

Food Securities Reverse Trade Mission – USTDA funded an RTM for agribusiness companies from sub-Saharan Africa to meet leading U.S. agricultural technology providers, U.S. agribusiness companies, and sources of financing. It highlighted the technological options to advance agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa, including large-scale food production, irrigation, and storage.

Intermodal Transportation and Trade Training – USTDA funded a training program to provide senior port managers from Liberia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya the opportunity to attend a training course on intermodal infrastructure management at the Merchant Marine Academy in New York. The course was followed by a one-week RTM during which the delegates had the opportunity to meet U.S. suppliers of port services and equipment, and visit U.S. ports to see U.S. technologies and management practices in their operating environments.

Angola

Locomotive Remanufacture – This FS will inspect the locomotives and make an assessment and plan for their potential refurbishment. The study will also support the participation of local railway workshops in the refurbishment process. This grant activity demonstrates the hallmark of USTDA, which is to provide foreign assistance that is of mutual economic benefit to both the United States and its partner countries. The USTDA grant supports the theme of the AGOA Forum of enhancing trade through increased competitiveness, value addition and deeper regional integration. It will also serve to promote food security and economic growth.

Housing Sector Reverse Trade Mission – This RTM promoted the participation of U.S. companies in Angola’s rapidly growing housing construction sector. High level delegates met U.S. representatives to discuss U.S. technologies, building solutions and policies that are able to support the development of Angola’s housing sector. The delegates visited Orlando, FL and Las Vegas, NV.

Southern Angola High-Voltage Transmission Line Feasibility Study – This feasibility study grant to the Angola Ministry of Energy and Water will evaluate the technical, financial, environmental, and other critical aspects of rehabilitating and expanding Angola's southern electricity transmission network. The construction of new high-voltage transmission lines in Southern Angola will increase access to electricity and help to integrate Angola's domestic electricity transmission networks.

Electricity Distribution Modernization – This feasibility study grant to the Angola Ministry of Energy and Water will evaluate the technical, financial, environmental, and other critical aspects of integrating information technology, automation, and management systems into Luanda's electricity distribution grid. The modernization of Luanda's electricity distribution grid will significantly improve the reliability of electricity in Luanda while reducing costs and harmful emissions.

Cameroon

Limbe Gas to Electricity Technical Assistance – The goal of this technical assistance is to assist the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources in commercializing Cameroon's off-shore gas reserves, as well as examine the conversion to gas of an existing 85 MW heavy fuel-oil power plant and the green-field construction of a 315 MW combined cycle gas-turbine power plant. In addition, the study will examine the transformer banks and power lines needed to deliver the generated power to the national power grid. Delphos International, Ltd is performing the assistance.

Ghana

Eastern Transmission Line – USTDA is providing a grant to the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GridCo) to support the development of a new power transmission line in eastern Ghana. The USTDA grant will fund the costs of a feasibility study on the technical and economic viability of expanding and strengthening Ghana’s electricity transmission network with a new 62 mile power transmission line between Asiekpe and Kpandu, and a new 143 mile transmission line between Kadjebi and Yendi.

Kotoka International Airport Air Traffic Control Center – USTDA provided a grant to the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority for a feasibility study to recommend a location and the technical specifications for a new Air Traffic Control Center (ATCC) at Kotoka International Airport. Robinson Aviation performed the study.

Kotoka International Airport Terminal Refurbishment – USTDA is partially funding the cost of technical assistance for the Ghana Airports Company Limited to assist in the refurbishment and upgrade of the passenger terminal at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. The technical assistance will build on the existing Master Plan developed by the LPA Group who is performing the technical assistance work on a cost-share basis.

Expansion of Meteorological Services – USTDA is providing funds for a feasibility study to assist the Ghana Meteorological Department in improving the collection, analysis, and dissemination of meteorological data to aviation, agricultural, and other users across throughout the country. IM Systems Group was selected perform the study.

Floating Storage Regasification Unit – This grant will assist the Ghana Energy Commission in determining the cost effectiveness and technical viability of a ship-mounted liquefied natural gas import terminal, storage, and regasification unit. Additionally, it will examine the viability of the accompanying infrastructure, such as mooring and pipelines, required to transmit the gas to shore. This project is designed to help significantly reduce the fuel shortages and supply disruptions. By helping to enable Ghana to import liquefied natural gas from the international market, maintain a buffer supply, and regasify the fuel at a significant cost savings over liquid fuels the project holds the potential to transform Ghana's energy sector. The improved availability of gas will also reduce harmful emissions as power plants replace heavy fuel oil with more environmentally friendly gas.

Kenya

Geothermal Development Company Capacity Building – This technical assistance grant to the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) will help expand private sector participation in Kenya's geothermal energy sector by providing capacity building training to GDC personnel, assisting in the development of feed-in tariffs that support geothermal power generation, and establishing evaluation criteria for potential private sector investment partners for geothermal power generation.

Cyber Security Reverse Trade Mission – USTDA funded an RTM to Washington, DC, and Silicon Valley, CA for Kenyan public and private sector decision makers. The RTM exposed the delegates to U.S. best practices and innovative cyber security technologies at a critical time in the growth of Kenya's ICT infrastructure.

Namibia

Independent Power Producer (IPP) and Investment Market Framework – USTDA has sponsored two technical assistance grants to the Namibian Electricity Control Board (ECB), the electricity regulatory body of Namibia. Under the first grant, USTDA funded Phase I technical assistance in the development of a formalized electricity market model that will facilitate investment by the private sector into Namibia's energy market. In Phase II, USTDA provided funds to facilitate the establishment of commercially viable IPP projects in Namibia by enabling ECB to perform the regulatory functions necessary for issuing licenses for IPP projects.

Nigeria

Children’s American Medical Center – USTDA approved a technical assistance grant to the Children's American Medical Center (CAMC) to develop specifications for equipment, personnel, facilities, and other requirements to build a new hospital to meet international medical standards, significantly improving the availability and quality of healthcare in Africa's largest city.

Gas Storage and Processing – This RTM brought a delegation from Oando Gas & Power Limited, a Nigerian energy company, to visit the United States to meet with U.S. companies, visit gas storage and processing sites, and receive training on gas storage solutions.

Renewable Energy IPP Framework – This technical assistance grant to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) is supporting the development of license application requirements and application review procedures for independent power producers. The assistance will also help NERC develop a feed-in tariff methodology which will give favorable electricity tariffs to IPPs employing renewable energy technologies.

Nigeria Secure Banking Information Technology – This RTM brought ten decision makers from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the United States to meet with U.S. sources of supply as the Central Bank plans to upgrade its network security to enable secure electronic transactions. The visit, which took place in April and May 2010, included meetings to discuss best practices with the U.S. Federal Reserve and U.S. technology providers.

Power Loss Reduction Technologies – This technical assistance grant will assist the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria and three of Nigeria's electricity distribution companies (Abuja, Eko, and Ikeja) with reducing the country's high rates of technical and commercial power losses. The technical assistance will assess the companies' electrical distribution infrastructure, make recommendations on smart-grid and outage management technologies, and provide training to the companies' senior engineers and technicians.

Rwanda

Banque Nationale Du Rwanda (BNR) ICT Modernization – This grant will assist the Rwandan National Bank (BNR) to build the technical capability necessary to provide real-time cash balance information to policymakers in Rwanda. This capacity will support more effective fiscal policy formulation and budget execution at the Ministry of Finance. ICD Corporation was selected to perform the assistance.

South Africa

Energy Efficient Building Solutions – This training event and RTM explored opportunities for large South African commercial and public-sector power consumers to save money and reduce their electricity requirements by using energy efficient technologies, equipment, and processes. The training included a one-day technical workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as site visits to Washington DC and New York City.

Tanzania

Bank of Tanzania ICT Modernization – This grant to the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) will fund technical assistance on an ICT modernization roadmap that will increase BOT's efficiency and effectiveness in maintaining price stability and carrying out other critical central banking functions.

Uganda

Balancing Biofuels and Food Security – This technical assistance activity will support the Ugandan Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) in preparing a strategy and regulatory structure for the development of an indigenous biofuels industry in Uganda. NOVI Energy was competitively selected to perform the study.

Zambia

Airports Master Plan Feasibility Study – USTDA is providing funds to the Zambian Ministry of Transport to develop a master plan for the international airports of Lusaka, Livingstone, Ndola, and Mfuwe. The study will design an implementation plan for the improvement and rehabilitation of the four airports. Jacobs Consulting was selected to perform this study.