Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko convened a high-level interministerial council on thursday, may 21, 2026, to address the nation’s infrastructure challenges. Held at the Administrative Building President Mamadou Dia, the session revealed a stark reality: 245 public infrastructure projects and assets are currently stalled due to financial, legal, technical, or operational bottlenecks, with total frozen investments exceeding several trillion CFA francs.

Among the most pressing concerns, 30 completed but unused infrastructures were identified, including 25 currently blocked. These represent a staggering 279 billion CFA francs in frozen investments. Fifteen of these projects have been flagged as high-priority due to their economic and strategic significance.

The government also discovered 23 assets already in operation that could be recycled or optimized, valued at 1,065 billion CFA francs. Additionally, 94 ongoing projects—62 of which are at a standstill—require a total investment of 5,227 billion CFA francs, with an additional 973 billion CFA francs needed to complete them.

The state’s real estate and land holdings were also scrutinized. A total of 97 properties, primarily located in Dakar, were identified, with a combined market value of 132 billion CFA francs.

In response to these findings, the Prime Minister announced immediate measures to accelerate the commissioning, completion, or optimization of these infrastructures. Sonko instructed the Secretary-General of the Government to establish a dedicated task force under his leadership, effective immediately. This committee, which will meet weekly, must deliver an operational roadmap by june 30, 2026.

The task force’s mandate includes proposing solutions for finalizing stalled projects, defining sustainable management and operational models, and developing strategies for recycling and optimizing public assets.

The audit highlighted the predominance of financial challenges. Among the blocked projects, 42 face funding gaps, payment delays, or insufficient investment credits. Other projects are hindered by technical constraints, legal disputes, or the absence of suitable operational frameworks.

The Prime Minister emphasized the paradoxical situation of completed infrastructures remaining unused, sometimes for years. He attributed this to coordination failures between stakeholders, lack of definitive acceptance, or misalignment with actual needs.

Several emblematic projects have been prioritized for intervention, including port and maritime infrastructures in Foundiougne, Soumbédioune, and Ndangane, the Youth and Citizenship Houses across multiple regions, the Naatangué ANIDA village farms, and the agro-parks in Mpal, Adéane, Dioulacoulon, and Mbellacadiao.

Major stalled projects cited include the Sine-Saloum University, the 45 Open Digital Spaces (ENO), the regional airports in Saint-Louis, Matam, and Kolda, the container terminal at the Port of Ndayane, the Le Joola Memorial, and the Aristide Le Dantec Hospital.

The government is also exploring public-private partnerships to enhance the efficiency of several infrastructures, including national stadiums, parks, nature reserves, and certain state-owned and diplomatic properties abroad.

Through this comprehensive audit and rationalization effort, the government aims to enhance the efficiency of public investments, reduce dormant assets, and improve the profitability of state-funded infrastructures.