The Prime Minister of Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, has exposed the scale of the country’s stalled infrastructure projects, revealing that 245 projects worth a total of 279 billion FCFA in public investment remain inactive. Speaking at a high-level inter-ministerial meeting in Dakar, he presented the findings of a national diagnostic assessment on abandoned infrastructure, highlighting critical financial, technical, and administrative shortcomings behind the delays.
According to the technical review, these projects—either completed but unused or still under construction—have created “dormant assets” amounting to 279 billion FCFA. The assessment was mandated by the April 15 Council of Ministers meeting, which instructed each ministry to identify “blocked” projects within their sectors.
Ousmane Sonko identified financial constraints as the primary cause of the delays affecting these 245 projects. He also cited technical obstacles—such as incomplete utility connections—as major contributors to the impasse. “It is unacceptable to build infrastructure without planning for its operation,” he stated, emphasizing that poor foresight has led to significant economic losses.
To address the crisis, the Prime Minister announced the creation of a dedicated committee under the Prime Minister’s Office to oversee and finalize the ongoing inventory process. He further called for a thorough expansion of the audit, admitting the current list is far from comprehensive. Sonko also urged officials to proactively anticipate technical challenges in connecting water and electricity networks to new infrastructure.
Condemning what he described as wasteful practices, negligence, and lax oversight, Sonko vowed to enforce a “zero-tolerance” policy moving forward. “These failures stem from recklessness and incompetence,” he said, stressing that accountability must replace complacency to prevent further delays and financial drain.
