Senegal infrastructure review reveals 245 stalled and underused projects

The Prime Minister of Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, has unveiled a comprehensive review of the country’s infrastructure assets, revealing 245 projects and facilities either stalled, underutilized, or requiring completion. This audit, conducted across ministerial departments, aims to identify opportunities for recycling, valorization, or urgent finalization to maximize public investment returns.

The interministerial council on infrastructure, chaired by Mr. Sonko, highlighted four key categories of infrastructure assets:

completed but unused facilities

Thirty projects fall into this category, with 25 currently blocked, representing a frozen investment of 279 billion CFA francs. Fifteen of these have been classified as high priority due to their financial impact and the nature of the obstacles preventing their activation.

operational assets eligible for recycling or valorization

Twenty-three assets across eight sectors are managed by 13 entities, with an estimated total value of 1,065 billion CFA francs. These include facilities that could be repurposed or upgraded to better serve public needs.

ongoing projects requiring completion

Ninety-four infrastructure projects remain unfinished, with 62 currently blocked. The total investment in these projects amounts to 5,227 billion CFA francs, while an additional 973 billion is needed to bring them to completion. Technical, financial, and administrative challenges are the primary causes of these delays.

recyclable or valorizable state real estate and land

The review identified 97 state-owned properties, 91 of which are located in the Dakar region. These assets have an estimated market value of 132 billion CFA francs, with renovation costs totaling 12.1 billion. Many of these properties have remained unused for years, representing a missed opportunity for economic and social development.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the primary causes of these infrastructure bottlenecks include financial constraints, technical failures, legal disputes, and operational shortcomings. Specifically, 42 projects were stalled due to insufficient investment funds or payment defaults, while 18 faced technical coordination issues between stakeholders such as contractors and utility providers (water, electricity, telecommunications).

Legal obstacles, including unresolved conflicts, canceled contracts, and unresolved administrative procedures, affected 14 projects. Meanwhile, 13 completed or nearly completed projects remain idle due to the absence of operational or management models, leaving them underutilized despite their potential.

Mr. Sonko criticized the lack of foresight in infrastructure planning, noting that many projects were initiated without considering their long-term operational viability. This oversight has led to significant financial losses and inefficiencies, with the Prime Minister describing the situation as inconceivable in a modern governance context.

In response, the government has decided to establish a dedicated committee at the Prime Minister’s office to oversee the finalization of this inventory and address the identified challenges. Additionally, ministries have been instructed to proactively anticipate technical issues related to utility connections, such as water and electricity, to prevent future bottlenecks.

The Prime Minister called for a zero-tolerance approach to negligence, laxism, and mismanagement, which have contributed to project delays and failures. He stressed the need for rigorous oversight to ensure that infrastructure investments translate into tangible benefits for the nation.

The review underscores the critical need for improved coordination, strategic planning, and accountability in Senegal’s infrastructure development to prevent further waste of public resources and to unlock the full potential of these assets.