A high-level delegation of energy officials from Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Senegal arrived in the United States this week to begin an official visit focused on modernizing West Africa’s power grids.

Organized by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the initiative includes a series of meetings between the West African delegates and American companies specializing in advanced energy technologies. The goal is to explore partnerships aimed at strengthening the reliability, efficiency, and resilience of transmission and distribution networks by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and other cutting-edge technologies.

During the visit, which runs from March 23 to March 27, 2026, the representatives from the ministries of energy and public utilities will travel to several U.S. cities, including Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York. They will meet with private sector actors and observe demonstrations of technologies for smart grid management, energy storage, and system stability.

A public business briefing in Washington will allow U.S. companies to showcase their energy innovations and engage directly with the African delegation on commercial opportunities and cooperation frameworks.

The initiative comes amid rapidly growing energy demand in West Africa, where national power grids continue to face major challenges, particularly in terms of reliability and coverage. Integrating new technologies is seen as a key lever to accelerate access to stable energy and improve the performance of electrical systems across the region.