The Council of Ministers was held on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, President of the Republic. At the start of the meeting, the President delivered his address, focusing on several key points.
2025-2026 School Year
The President began by addressing the preparations for the 2025-2026 school year and the acceleration of the transformation of the education system. With the school year set to begin on October 6, 2025, for teachers and October 8, 2025, for students, he urged the Government to implement all necessary measures to ensure compliance with the academic calendar and the smooth conduct of teaching and learning across the entire national territory.
He reminded the Prime Minister of the urgency to expedite the national program for phasing out temporary shelters and to ensure the construction and equipping of modern schools. The President emphasized his commitment to the quality of the education system and the continuous adaptation of training curricula, with a focus on strengthening IT, digital technologies, sciences, and national and foreign languages in educational institutions.
He also instructed the Government to conduct a forward-looking evaluation of exam and competition results, with consensual and pragmatic proposals for new organizational modalities. The Ministers of National Education and Vocational and Technical Training were tasked with working with public and private education stakeholders to optimize the regulation of registration and tuition fees and to deepen reflection on the school canteen system, in alignment with social action and national solidarity policies.
Finally, he urged the Government to ensure regular monitoring of agreements with teachers’ unions and to strengthen ongoing social dialogue in the education sector to uphold the excellence of Senegalese schools.
New Agricultural Policy, Marketing Campaign, and Promotion of Local Consumption
The second point of the President’s address focused on the new agricultural policy, the marketing campaign, and the promotion of local consumption. After congratulating the Government for the preparatory measures taken to ensure the success of the 2025 agricultural production campaign, he underscored the importance of accelerating the reconstitution of the seed stock through research conducted by ISRA. He also directed the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock and the State Secretary for Cooperatives and Farmer Support to expedite the establishment of community agricultural cooperatives and to restructure and relaunch the Community Agricultural Domains Program (PRODAC).
The President called on the Government to revive policies, projects, and programs promoting local consumption, optimizing the value of various regional products. He instructed the Minister of Industry and Commerce to prepare, with all stakeholders and communities, for the successful organization of the 6th edition of the “October, Month of Local Consumption” initiative.
Participation in the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Addressing his participation in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly from September 21 to 26, 2025, the President informed the Council that he had outlined Senegal’s position on major global challenges, including the fight against terrorism, conflicts, climate change, the economic crisis, the decline in international solidarity, and the crisis of multilateralism. He also commended the Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, for organizing a side event on memory-related issues, such as “justice and reparations for Africans and people of African descent.”
On the sidelines of the session, the President held several bilateral meetings with Heads of State and Government, as well as influential non-state actors on the international stage.
Monitoring of Rift Valley Fever and October Pink
Regarding reported cases of Rift Valley Fever, the President instructed the Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, in coordination with relevant ministries, to mobilize all epidemic prevention and management mechanisms across the country, particularly in and around affected areas. He emphasized the urgent need to launch an intensive public and community awareness campaign on epidemic prevention measures. Additionally, concerning the observance of October Pink, he directed the Government to take necessary measures to raise awareness about early breast cancer screening and ensure effective care for patients.
Agenda
Finally, regarding his agenda, the President announced that he will chair the opening ceremony of the Invest in Senegal Forum (FII Senegal) on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, in the presence of the entire Government.
STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER
The Prime Minister congratulated the President for his outstanding participation in the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, during which he elevated Senegal’s image through his firm and courageous stances on pressing global issues, particularly regarding Gaza and the inequities of the international financial system.
He then focused his address on the transformative approach to effectively carry out government action in a coherent manner and in keeping with the political commitments made to the people. He highlighted three key points to initiate this approach: the swift execution of priority catalytic projects, addressing financing challenges, and establishing a working methodology.
Imminent Launch of Major Projects under the National Transformation Agenda (ANT)
This includes key structural projects of the President’s mandate, such as the Grand Water Transfer Project, rural electrification and hydraulics, digital identity, the Dakar-Tambacounda railway line (standard gauge component), the renewal of the freight transport vehicle fleet, and the agricultural cooperatives program. Their diligent implementation will be the Government’s top priority.
Acceleration of Ongoing Catalytic Projects
The Prime Minister emphasized the need to accelerate the execution of other ongoing structural projects to achieve short-term positive results. These include major works in the port, highway, airport, agro-industrial, railway, digital, and energy sectors. He also called on the Government to pay special attention to certain strategic projects that are completed but awaiting operationalization or are behind schedule, including those in transportation, wholesale markets, higher education, and national education. He concluded by reaffirming the priority of continuing efforts to revive struggling companies, notably SONACOS, SN La Poste, and Air Senegal. To this end, the Prime Minister announced plans to visit these project sites soon after in-depth working sessions. The restructuring of these projects will address technical, financial, and operational shortcomings, with the overarching goal of establishing transparent and results-oriented governance.
Financing
The Prime Minister noted that project financing will prioritize the use of domestic resources. Additional resources generated through the Economic and Social Recovery Plan (PRES) will support the funding of priority projects through budgetary arbitration and programming. The Government will increasingly rely on public-private partnerships, innovative patriotic mechanisms, and the mobilization of national public savings and the diaspora through investment vehicles such as FONSIS, CDC, FONGIP, FNR, and IPRES. The aim is to direct these resources toward high-yield economic projects. Additionally, Islamic finance instruments (waqf, sukuk) and crowdfunding platforms are seen as relevant tools for financing social infrastructure and high-impact local activities, particularly in education, health, and territorial development.
Methodology
The Prime Minister indicated that a framework for thorough review, restructuring, and relaunching of each project will be established, with periodic oversight and a guiding document. A unified real-time monitoring and evaluation platform, currently being finalized at the Prime Minister’s office, will ensure effective project management. Issue reporting forms will also be developed and presented at the Council of Ministers to facilitate prompt solutions.
MINISTERS’ STATEMENTS
- The Minister of African Integration, Foreign Affairs, and Senegalese Abroad provided an update on the politico-diplomatic and security situation in the sub-region.
- The Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation presented the National Strategy for Private Sector Development and Investment Promotion (SNDSPI).
- The Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation reported on the weekly management of flooding.
- The Minister of Youth and Sports addressed the status of infrastructure and the implementation of decisions from the Interministerial Council on the Youth Olympic Games.
Marie Rose Khady Fatou FAYE State Secretary to the Prime Minister, in charge of Relations with Institutions, Government Spokesperson