The purpose of the CIGRE-WA is to facilitate and promote the sharing of technical knowledge and information between power system experts, managers, companies, and institutions in the following: Benin, Burkina Faso, Capo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

Knowledge sharing is particularly concerned with the following:

• All sizes and types of power generation systems;
• The planning, construction, and operation of substations, and their associated equipment;
• The planning, construction, insulation, operation, and protection of electrical lines of all voltage levels, both AC and DC, overhead, and cables;
• The development and operation of power systems and interconnected systems, including system environmental and technical performance, electricity markets & regulation, distribution systems, distributed energy resources, materials, test techniques, information systems, and telecommunications.

The CIGRE-WA achieves its objectives by all appropriate methods, notably as follows:

• It promotes participation and participates in the periodical conferences known as “Paris Sessions” as set in Article 16 of the CIGRE statutes;
• It promotes investigations of operational technical problems of all parts of the Western African power systems;
• It creates and maintains friendly relations between associations, administrations, engineers, teachers, and manufacturers in the countries listed in the CIGRE West Africa National Committee Statutes and experienced in the subject matters set out in the Article;
• It collaborates with other international organizations of related interests;
• It encourages national and international studies and research;
• It ensures the financial resources necessary for its functioning, as set out in Article 15 of the CIGRE West Africa National Committee Statutes;
• It promotes young engineers and female participation in all its activities.