On the occasion of his year-end Address to the Nation, the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, delivered a clear-eyed assessment of the year 2025 while outlining the major policy directions that will guide public action in 2026.
Describing the past year as a “demanding” one, the Head of State first expressed his gratitude to the defense and security forces, religious and traditional authorities, as well as to all Senegalese citizens at home and in the diaspora, commending their resilience and daily contribution to national stability and cohesion.
Reaffirming the significance of his presidential oath, President Faye emphasized his unwavering commitment to the transformation agenda presented to the people, founded on justice, sovereignty, transparency, equity, and human dignity, in the spirit of Jub, Jubal, Jubanti. He noted that 2025 helped bring to light the country’s structural imbalances, while initiating a process of recovery based on rigor, truth, and transparency.
On the economic and social front, the Head of State highlighted the progress achieved, notably the gradual reduction in the prices of essential goods, resulting in savings of more than CFA 342 billion for households, the expansion of the National Single Registry to one million households, and increased support for the empowerment of women and youth. He also welcomed significant advances in the health, agriculture, industry, and employment sectors, including the revival of SONACOS and support provided to thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Looking ahead, the President of the Republic announced that 2026 will be placed under the banner of renewed public investment, with major budgetary commitments in education, health, water resources, infrastructure, energy, housing, and rural development. He notably cited the launch of the Grand Water Transfer Project, the acceleration of rural electrification, the deployment of satellite connectivity, and the continuation of major nationwide structural projects.
At the institutional level, the Head of State reaffirmed his attachment to the rule of law and democratic consolidation. He announced that draft texts relating to the revision of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court, the Superior Council of the Judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), as well as the draft Electoral Code, will be presented to the Council of Ministers and submitted to the National Assembly during the first quarter of 2026.
Finally, reaffirming Senegal’s commitment to peace and multilateralism, President Faye welcomed the international recognition accorded to the country, particularly through Senegal’s appointment to the presidency of the ECOWAS Commission. He also declared 2026 the “Year of Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy” and called for national mobilization in preparation for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
In concluding his address, the Head of State called for unity, responsibility, and the rejection of all forms of violence, while extending his wishes for peace, health, and prosperity for the year 2026.
Below is the full text of the Address to the Nation by H.E. Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye:
Presidential Palace, 31 December 2025 – Only the spoken word shall prevail
Fellow Senegalese,
My dear compatriots,
We have reached the end of a demanding year. A year of effort, which calls for a clear-eyed assessment of the path we have traveled and a candid outlook on the road ahead.
This moment is, first and foremost, one of gratitude.
Gratitude to our defense and security forces, who carry out their mission with professionalism, discipline, and a high sense of duty.
Gratitude to our religious and traditional authorities, guardians of social balance, peace of mind, and the values that underpin our shared life.
Gratitude as well to Senegalese women and men at home and throughout the diaspora.
From your courage, your hands, your intelligence, and your patience is born, each day, that quiet strength which sustains the Nation and lights its future.
My dear compatriots,
The oath I took before the Nation and before God binds my conscience and my responsibility at the highest level. It expresses my duty to respect the Constitution, to protect the Republic, and to serve, with the same commitment, every Senegalese woman and every Senegalese man.
This fidelity to the oath goes hand in hand with an equally essential fidelity: the one that binds our action to the transformation project we presented to the people. This project, founded on justice, sovereignty, transparency, equity, and human dignity, remains the compass of our choices. I remain steadfastly committed to it, in the spirit of Jub, Jubal, Jubanti.
The year now ending has been a moment of truth for our country. It brought to light deep structural imbalances, revealed the scale of accumulated challenges, and reminded us of the imperative to restore the State with seriousness, method, and transparency.
Extensive work has been carried out internally and with our partners to establish a shared diagnosis and to design sustainable solutions.
At the same time, tangible progress has been achieved.
The continuity of the State has been ensured, public services strengthened, and the most vulnerable sectors supported. The gradual reduction in the prices of essential goods has resulted in a real easing of the cost of living.
Measures to reduce the prices of several essential products represented savings of 342.5 billion CFA francs for households in 2025. This effort will continue in 2026.
In this regard, I wish to commend the commitment of the Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, and the entire Government.
The gradual improvement of the business climate, the intensification of our economic diplomacy, and the holding of the Invest in Senegal Forum have strengthened the country’s credibility and consolidated its position as a reliable and attractive investment destination.
My dear compatriots,
The political decision to expand the National Single Registry to one million households has made social action fairer and more effective by directing support to those who truly need it.
This commitment to equity has been extended through increased support for the economic empowerment of women and young people, with the emergence of 1,060 productive solidarity cooperatives.
In the field of health, the Government has consistently sought to improve the daily lives of families. Community health facilities have been opened or rehabilitated, technical platforms strengthened, emergency medical services brought closer to rural areas, and maternity wards upgraded.
In 2025, this effort resulted in the opening of 34 health posts and the deployment of 76 fully equipped ambulances. This number will be increased to 112 ambulances in 2026.
The year 2025 also marked decisive progress in the productive sector, notably through the provision of appropriate equipment and sufficient inputs to agricultural stakeholders. In rural areas, cereal production exceeded 2.5 million tons, while the groundnut sector regained strong momentum.
Industry reached a turning point with the revival of SONACOS after two years of shutdown, recreating more than 2,300 direct jobs. This effort will continue in 2026, with an allocation of 25 billion CFA francs for the renewal of production equipment.
Nationwide, more than 8,000 SMEs were supported, helping to consolidate or create nearly 130,000 direct and indirect jobs.
My dear compatriots,
Preparing for the future also means investing in youth and knowledge. A total of 2,401 classrooms were delivered, along with 1,389 administrative blocks, 1,112 sanitation blocks, and 92 kilometers of secured fencing. Two thousand teachers were recruited in priority areas, and more than 500 teacher-researchers will join universities, ISEPs, and higher education institutions.
Eight new ISEPs will strengthen access to high-quality advanced vocational training, while curriculum reforms, the integration of daara schools into the national education system, and a renewed focus on science, technology, vocational training, and digital skills will support this transformation.
Infrastructure has continued to transform daily life. Nearly 280 kilometers of roads were completed, more than 100 kilometers of rural tracks reconnected 86 localities, and access to drinking water and electricity expanded, with 831,799 citizens gaining access to electricity for the first time.
These results, among others, bring families closer together, support economic activity, and breathe new life into areas long isolated.
My dear compatriots,
The year 2025 was marked by rigor and resilience, as well as by the consolidation of transparency and truth in our governance. Thanks to a drastic reduction in the State’s operating costs, more disciplined management, contract renegotiations, and the rationalization of several exemptions, the State freed up significant resources, which will be fully devoted to priority investments in 2026.
The year ahead will therefore be one of the effective revival of public investment.
In education, to accelerate the eradication of temporary classrooms and improve learning conditions, 29 billion CFA francs are planned for 2026, within a total budget of 62.8 billion CFA francs dedicated to the construction and equipment of 2,500 classrooms, 300 administrative blocks, 50,000 linear meters of fencing, and 480 sanitation blocks, among others.
Higher education and technical and vocational training will also benefit, with a projected budget of 31 billion CFA francs for the construction, rehabilitation, and equipment of university facilities.
Health will receive a major boost, with 91 billion CFA francs allocated to the construction of 35 high-standard community health centers, the completion of the Diamniadio Oncology Hospital, and the strengthening of medical facilities nationwide.
Access to water will be a strategic priority. The Grand Water Transfer Project will be launched with an initial public investment of 50 billion CFA francs. It will make it possible to mobilize 1.8 million cubic meters of water per day to sustainably meet the drinking water needs of the Dakar–Mbour–Thiès urban corridor and Touba.
This will also enable the irrigation of nearly 15,000 hectares in support of food sovereignty and the strengthening of the livestock sector.
Rural water supply will also be reinforced with the relaunch of Phase 2 of the drinking water supply project, amounting to 55 billion CFA francs, including the construction of 101 boreholes and 96 water towers.
Infrastructure development will accelerate significantly. More than 100 billion CFA francs will be invested in roads, urban development, and major facilities, including those related to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The PUDC, PUMA, and PROMOVILLES programs will receive 51 billion CFA francs to strengthen basic services and open up remote areas.
The construction of the second Ziguinchor bridge, with an initial allocation of 25 billion CFA francs, will sustainably improve mobility in the region.
At the same time, the Diomaye Plan for Casamance, whose impact is already significant, will gradually be extended to other departments in the southern regions.
Rural areas will benefit from targeted investments, with 18 billion CFA francs dedicated to community agricultural cooperatives and the first integrated farms, as well as more than 91 billion CFA francs for agropoles in the South and Center, to strengthen production, local processing, and employment.
In the energy sector, 2026 will mark a decisive acceleration with the planned connection of 3,637 additional localities, representing 113,654 households and approximately 1,235,755 people.
At the same time, Senegal will take a major step toward universal connectivity, with the deployment of satellite antennas enabling nearly one million people to access the internet free of charge in 2026, opening new opportunities for education, health, entrepreneurship, and digital inclusion.
Finally, access to housing will be supported with 20 billion CFA francs to drive the 30,000 Housing Program and the urban renewal program.
These choices reflect a clear conviction: Senegal has the resources, collective intelligence, and capacity for hard work needed to recover, transform, and build its future through its own efforts, with its youth as the driving force and its people as its strength.
My dear compatriots,
Senegal has chosen to remain faithful to what underpins its strength: a vibrant democracy, a demanding rule of law, and a deeply rooted tradition of dialogue.
It is in this spirit of continuity and responsibility that the reforms undertaken have been pursued to strengthen the solidity and credibility of our institutions.
The National Anti-Corruption Office was established following an open and transparent call for applications, a principle now extended to several other entities of the Republic, enshrining competence, integrity, and merit as criteria of public governance.
In the same reform momentum, the ad hoc committees stemming from the National Dialogues on Justice and the Political System have completed their work, laying the groundwork for translating consensus recommendations into law in a spirit of renewal.
Faithful to the commitment to sustainably strengthen the rule of law, draft legislation relating to the revision of the Constitution, the Constitutional Court, the Superior Council of the Judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), as well as the draft Electoral Code, will be presented to the Council of Ministers and submitted to the National Assembly during the first quarter of 2026.
Other reforms will follow a coherent adoption timetable, aligned with the length of the mandate and the rhythm of the Nation.
My dear compatriots,
On the African and international stage, Senegal has continued its work for peace, solidarity, and cooperation. It has strengthened its alliances on the Continent, reinforced its contribution to security risk prevention, and championed a clear voice in favor of a more inclusive and effective multilateralism in the service of humanity.
The decision of the 68th ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government to entrust Senegal, for the first time, with the presidency of the Commission of the organization is a strong and unequivocal recognition.
My dear compatriots,
At the heart of our Nation, youth remains a force that does not fade despite adversity.
It is above all for them that I have declared 2026 the “Year of Employment and the Social and Solidarity Economy.”
Our country will host the Youth Olympic Games, Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event on African soil. This occasion goes beyond sport. It is a symbol of trust, capability, and openness. It will be our responsibility to demonstrate, with high standards, what Senegal can offer the world: a disciplined youth, a hospitable people, and a Nation capable of honoring its commitments.
My dear compatriots,
The high office you have entrusted to me requires a sense of perspective that I intend to uphold in all circumstances. I will therefore continue to carry out this mission with humility, attentiveness, and clarity of mind. Nothing will divert me from it. Nothing will take precedence over the general interest. Nothing will ever be placed above peace, unity, and the integrity of Senegal.
The Republic does not ask us to be perfect. It demands sincerity of purpose, loyalty to our commitments, and perseverance in our collective effort.
I know how strong expectations are, but you have rejected resignation and chosen hope and action for the transformation of our Senegal.
Before concluding, my dear compatriots, I wish to state clearly that no form of violence is acceptable in the Republic, particularly violence against women, femicide, and all abuses committed against the most vulnerable. The State will relentlessly pursue prevention, the protection of victims, and the uncompromising punishment of perpetrators, so that dignity, safety, and life are guaranteed for all.
May the year 2026 bring health, peace of mind, and harmony to every household.
I wish you all a happy and prosperous New Year 2026.
May God bless Senegal and Africa!
Long live the Republic.
Long live Senegal.
Watch again the Address to the Nation by the President of the Republic: