The Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, chaired the weekly meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Palace of the Republic.
At the outset of his address, the President of the Republic extended the Nation’s condolences to the Layène community and the Islamic Ummah following the passing of Serigne Mouhamadou Makhtar LAYE, General Khalifa of the Layènes. Exactly one year ago, on April 5, 2024, the Head of State presided over the first Council of Ministers after the formation of the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Ousmane SONKO. At the end of a year marked by diligent effort, the President of the Republic gave thanks to God. He praised the Government’s resolute commitment to methodically and promptly implementing the patriotic project for a sovereign, just, and prosperous Senegal, rooted in peace, stability, and solidarity.
The Head of State reflected on the celebration of the 65th anniversary of Independence Day, which this year achieved exceptional success, marked by unity and patriotic fervor that filled the entire Nation with pride. The President of the Republic highlighted the presence of the Heads of State of The Gambia, Mauritania, and Guinea-Bissau, as well as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He extended his warm congratulations to the Minister of the Armed Forces, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, and the High Commander of the National Gendarmerie and Director of Military Justice for the excellent preparation and remarkable execution of the arms ceremonies and parades across the national territory. He commended all defense and security forces for their unwavering commitment to serving the Nation and also thanked and congratulated the students, youth movements, cultural actors, and all the vibrant forces of the Nation who brilliantly contributed to the success of the events and parades.
In this context of reclaiming our history and strong values, he praised the exemplary conduct of our defense and security forces in preserving and strengthening active and constructive citizenship for Senegal. Promoting a culture of civism and citizenship across all sectors of national life remains a central concern for the President of the Republic. To this end, he reminded the Government that mobilizing and guiding youth in development activities, as well as consistently strengthening the Army-Nation bond, are top priorities. He instructed the Prime Minister to intensify, in the spirit of a sovereign, just, and prosperous Senegal, the implementation of the National Citizenship Promotion Program, as well as the development of a new, innovative, ambitious youth policy aligned with our historical and cultural values on one hand, and the technological, economic, and social developments of the contemporary world on the other.
The Head of State emphasized the urgency of repositioning civic education within training curricula and investing in social, sports, and cultural infrastructure aimed at supporting and harnessing the multisectoral potential of Senegal’s youth. Consequently, there is a need to strengthen associative life in schools, daaras, and various neighborhoods and villages across Senegal. To this end, he directed the Minister in charge of Youth to ensure the consensual reorganization, by July 1, 2025, of the National Youth Council, which should evolve into a consultative body that federates all proposals and aspirations of Senegal’s youth within the framework of national development. He commended the organization of the World Youth Days (WYD) on April 5 and 6, 2025, in Pout Diack (Thiès region) and congratulated all participants.
On the occasion of World Health Day, celebrated on April 7, 2025, the President of the Republic seized the opportunity to remind the Government, particularly the Minister of Health and Social Action, of the urgent need to intensify bold measures to modernize the healthcare system across all its components. He stressed the imperative need to prioritize disease prevention as the guiding principle of national health policy. Patient management must be placed at the core of the healthcare system’s performance.
In this regard, he called for the deployment of Senegal’s new healthcare map in a coherent, complementary, and optimized manner, covering healthcare infrastructure and facilities, as well as services and care offerings. He further underscored the importance of finalizing hospital reforms, continuously improving the quality of equipment and medical facilities, and enhancing the functionality of reception and emergency care services.
The Head of State emphasized the need to improve the management of chronic diseases (such as kidney failure and cancer), revitalize the expanded vaccination program, and present a five-year recruitment plan for healthcare personnel in the public health system, in anticipation of the progressive opening and upgrading of healthcare establishments and structures across all regions of Senegal.
Furthermore, he instructed the Minister of Health and Social Action, in collaboration with the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, to take all appropriate measures to effectively combat the illicit sale of medicines and the illegal practice of medical and surgical activities throughout the national territory.
Along the same lines, he directed the Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation and the Minister of Health and Social Action to work toward better oversight of medical, pharmaceutical, and health and social development training institutions.
The President of the Republic urged the Government to pay special attention to Faculties and Research and Training Units in medicine, as well as public and private medical, pharmaceutical, and health engineering training institutions. He instructed the Government to ensure the improvement of the functioning of University Hospital Centers (e.g., CHU Fann and Dantec), strengthen recruitment efforts, and reposition the Military Health School and the Army Health Service within the healthcare architecture. Additionally, he tasked the Minister of Health and Social Action with continuing efforts to restructure and develop the pharmaceutical industry to position Senegal as a leading pharmaceutical hub in Africa.
To this end, he reminded the Government of the critical need to adequately monitor the activities of the Senegalese Pharmaceutical Regulation Agency (ARP), the National Supply Pharmacy (PNA), and projects led by the Pasteur Institute of Dakar, as part of strengthening Senegal’s vaccine and pharmaceutical sovereignty. To conclude this chapter, he invited the Minister of Health and Social Action to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to devise consensual strategies for controlling healthcare expenditures and ensuring the sustainable financing of the healthcare system. Above all, this involves accelerating the digitization of healthcare services under the Technological New Deal framework.
The Head of State presided over the launch of the second edition of the national space caravan, dubbed “SPACEBUS 2025,” led by the Senegalese Space Studies Agency (ASES). He congratulated the ASES leadership and stakeholders for rolling out this major initiative to promote space activities in Senegal.
Following Senegal’s historic successful launch of its first satellite (microsatellite GaindeSat 1A) on August 16, 2024, in the United States, he directed the Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation to convene all national institutional and private actors, along with partners, to finalize the reference document for the national space policy and coordinated action plans for space development aligned with the Senegal 2050 Vision.
In his address, the Prime Minister drew the Council’s attention, in light of recent tragic events, to the pressing issue of mental health care, particularly the outdated nature of Law No. 75-80 of July 9, 1975, concerning the treatment of mental illnesses and the internment regime for certain categories of the mentally ill.
The Prime Minister highlighted major challenges surrounding mental health, notably the lack of a structured public policy framework for intersectoral and interdisciplinary dialogue, as well as the non-implementation of the national mental health program outlined for 2024-2028. He also cited persistent issues such as the wandering of mentally ill individuals, insufficient integration of psychiatric care into primary healthcare services, and the absence of a structured policy for mobilizing funding for mental health. Regarding the concerning case of wandering mentally ill individuals, which constitutes a public health issue, the Prime Minister emphasized the social dimension of this pathology, requiring better support from families and communities alongside the State.
In response to this situation, the Prime Minister instructed the Minister of Health and Social Action, in collaboration with the Ministers of Justice, the Interior, and Family Affairs, to establish an ad hoc committee to work with all relevant stakeholders, no later than the end of August 2025, to finalize the revision process of the half-century-old law on the treatment of mental illnesses and the internment regime for certain categories of the mentally ill, and to effectively implement the 2024-2028 strategic plan to improve the quality of mental healthcare.
Within this framework, the anticipated reforms should address, among other things, strengthening the capacities of specialized care and internment units, addressing the shortage of psychiatrists, establishing procedures for removing wandering mentally ill individuals from public spaces, and ensuring regular visits to internment facilities by authorized authorities. These actions should be complemented by an awareness campaign to be deployed by the Ministry of Health and Social Action in collaboration with the Ministry of Family and Solidarity.
UNDER THE HEADING OF MINISTERIAL COMMUNICATIONS:
- The Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation delivered a presentation on Senegal’s economic performance over the period 2014-2024;
- The Minister of Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport addressed the highway networks;
- The Minister of Water and Sanitation discussed preparations for the 2025 rainy season regarding flood prevention and management;
- The Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture presented the program for preparing national athletes for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026.
UNDER THE HEADING OF LEGISLATIVE TEXTS, the Council reviewed and adopted:
- The draft decree establishing standard statutes applicable to national companies;
- The draft decree setting the operating rules for the deliberative body of entities in the parastatal sector.
Minister of Vocational and Technical Training, Government Spokesperson, Amadou Moustapha Njekk SARRE