President Obama is wheels up for Africa Wednesday. The White House and US development agencies have been unusually quiet prior to departure, but some things are sure to be on the agenda: economic growth, trade, investment, democracy, youth, food security, and health. Obama is widely expected to announce a new power initiative. But Nelson Mandela’s failing health could dramatically shift the trip’s tone and focus.

Assuming the itinerary goes as planned, Obama’s first stop will be Senegal, followed by South Africa and Tanzania. Based on his administration’s global development policy work to date, we can expect three themes:

Presidential trips usually come with announcements of new programs, new money or both (Todd Moss suggests six so-called deliverables). Most bets are on Obama announcing a new power initiative in Tanzania. Tanzania is home to just about every US development program in the book but most notably is a Partnership for Growth country which means it should put Obama’s global development policy into practice. A power initiative would hit most of the policy’s criteria:

✓Economic growth focus.
✓Beyond aid: links to trade and investment.
✓Leverage private sector investment .
✓Build capacity in a partner country’s public sectors.
✓Game-changing innovation, if it includes a solar power component.