An inter-ministerial review of Senegal’s infrastructure portfolio has uncovered 245 assets and projects with untapped potential. These include completed but unused facilities, ongoing initiatives requiring completion, and underutilized state properties.
four categories of infrastructure challenges identified
Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko presented the findings to cabinet after a comprehensive infrastructure audit. The assessment revealed four distinct categories of infrastructure issues:
- Category 1: Completed but inactive assets (30 projects)
Twenty-five of these face operational blockages, representing 279 billion CFA francs in frozen investments. Fifteen high-priority projects require immediate intervention due to their financial impact and nature of obstruction. - Category 2: Operational assets with reuse potential (23 projects)
These span eight sectors, managed by 13 entities, with an estimated value of 1,065 billion CFA francs. - Category 3: Ongoing projects requiring completion (94 initiatives)
Sixty-two of these are currently stalled. The total investment stands at 5,227 billion CFA francs, with an additional 973 billion CFA francs needed for completion. - Category 4: Recyclable state properties (97 assets)
Ninety-one of these are located in the Dakar region. Their combined market value reaches 132 billion CFA francs, with renovation costs estimated at 12.1 billion CFA francs.
root causes of infrastructure delays
The analysis identified multiple layers of blockages across financial, technical, legal, and operational dimensions:
financial impediments
Forty-two projects face funding shortages, including:
- Inadequate investment credits
- Delayed or defaulted payments
- Interrupted operations due to budget constraints
technical and coordination failures
Eighteen projects encountered technical obstacles stemming from:
- Poor coordination between project owners and utility operators (water, electricity, telecoms)
- Unfinished technical work
- Delayed equipment delivery
- Missing installations
- Site access issues
legal and administrative hurdles
Fourteen projects remain stalled due to:
- Legal disputes
- Cancelled contracts or tenders
- Pending administrative approvals
- Missing institutional decrees
operational gaps
Thirteen projects—some completed years ago—lack operational or management frameworks, rendering them unusable despite physical completion.
call for urgent action
Ousmane Sonko emphasized the urgent need to address these deficiencies, noting that:
- A dedicated committee will be established at the Prime Minister’s Office to finalize and expand the inventory.
- Agencies must proactively anticipate technical challenges, particularly in utility connections.
- Infrastructure planning must incorporate operational readiness from inception to avoid costly redundancies.
‘’The current situation reflects unacceptable levels of negligence and inefficiency,’’ Sonko stated. ‘’Moving forward, zero tolerance will be applied to delays and failures that drain public resources.’’
The Prime Minister decried the ‘’massive losses’’ incurred due to these systemic failures, calling for immediate corrective measures to unlock the potential of Senegal’s infrastructure assets.
