The Council of Ministers met on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, President of the Republic.
UNDER THE COMMUNICATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC
The Head of State delivered a statement covering the following points:
Celebration of Easter
The President of the Republic began his address by referring to Holy Week, ahead of the celebration of Easter, and extended his congratulations and best wishes to the Christian community. He then joined the entire Nation in prayer for a Senegal of peace and prosperity in solidarity.
He instructed the Government to implement appropriate measures to ensure the smooth conduct of Easter celebrations across the national territory.
Second Year in Office and Implementation of the National Transformation Agenda
Recalling his swearing-in before the Nation on April 2, 2024, the President of the Republic thanked the Senegalese people for their trust and commitment to realizing the vision of a sovereign, just, and prosperous Senegal. In this regard, he commended the Prime Minister, ministers, and secretaries of state for their efforts to accelerate the country’s recovery, improve the well-being of the population, and drive systemic transformation, despite the unprecedented economic, financial, and social situation inherited from the previous administration.
He emphasized the sensitivity of the ongoing correction and restructuring phase, while noting significant progress, including the presentation of the public finance audit, the publication of the “Senegal 2050” Vision, and the development of the Master Plan, the National Development Strategy (NDS), the New Technological Deal, and sectoral national consultations. These guiding and reference documents, he stated, have initiated a genuine transformation of the country in all its dimensions.
In this context, he reiterated his commitment to strengthening reforms aimed at modernizing the justice system, enhancing transparency in public governance, and ensuring systematic accountability, as reflected in laws on OFNAC, asset declaration, whistleblower protection, and access to information.
He instructed the Government to accelerate the implementation of the Economic and Social Recovery Plan (PRES), the rollout of new agricultural and industrial policies, the development of the social and solidarity economy, and price regulation in markets. He also called for strengthening social dialogue, ensuring stability in key sectors, and improving the quality of public services through intensified decentralization of public projects and investments, alongside the gradual establishment of territorial hubs.
Central Role of Youth in Public Policies
Following his chairing of the opening ceremony of National Youth Week in Thiès on March 30, 2026, the Head of State commended the Minister of Youth and Sports, administrative and local authorities, and regional delegations for the successful organization of the event, marked by strong youth participation.
Given the importance of youth in public policy implementation and their central role in national development, he reminded the Prime Minister of the urgency of strengthening education, supervision, vocational and technical training, and youth employability. He also urged the Government to expand youth and sports infrastructure in every department and ensure strong youth mobilization for the Youth Olympic Games (Dakar 2026). He further instructed that young people be involved in public governance through the activation of consultation bodies at the communal, departmental, regional, and national levels.
In this regard, the President asked the Minister of Youth and Sports to prepare for the establishment of the Senegal Youth Advisory Council, which he will chair no later than the end of June 2026.
Key Role of Daara in Transforming the National Education System
Following the National Daara Day, which he chaired with the participation of all stakeholders, the President congratulated the Minister of National Education, as well as Daara leaders, partners, and stakeholders, for their effective involvement in the national consultations, the conclusions of which were presented during the event.
He called on the Government to continue sustained dialogue with all Daara stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the consensual recommendations from the national consultations. Accordingly, the Ministers of National Education and of Employment and Vocational and Technical Training will implement an integrated support program for Daara to strengthen their role in consolidating the education system and contributing to economic and social development.
Strengthening Transparency in Extractive Industries
Reaffirming that transparency in the management of natural resources remains a priority, the Head of State congratulated the Government, the National EITI Committee and its President, and all public and private stakeholders whose joint efforts improved Senegal’s overall score (89/100, rated “Very Good”) in the 2025 validation exercise.
He instructed the Prime Minister to ensure, with the relevant ministries, the consolidation of these achievements and the positive impact of the extractive sector on communities, through the implementation of required recommendations and corrective measures. He emphasized oversight of natural resources, governance of public enterprises in hydrocarbons and mining, management of environmental and local development funds, and adequate resources for the functioning of the National EITI Committee.
Presidential Agenda, Regional Integration, Cooperation and Partnerships
The Head of State informed the Council of his official visit to the Kingdom of Spain from March 24 to 26, 2026, at the invitation of His Majesty King Felipe VI. He renewed his thanks to King Felipe, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Spanish people for their warm welcome.
This visit, reflecting the strength of bilateral relations, was marked by a reception at the Royal Palace and yielded significant outcomes, including the elevation of cooperation to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the adoption of the Spain–Senegal Sustainable Development Partnership Framework (2026–2030) with funding of €180 million, alignment of Spanish investments with the “Senegal 2050” Vision, support for the organization of the Youth Olympic Games, strengthened cooperation in key sectors, and the signing of five legal cooperation instruments.
On the sidelines of the visit, the President chaired an economic forum on Senegal and met with Spanish investors, business leaders, political figures, including the President of the Canary Islands Government, as well as the Senegalese community in Spain.
UNDER THE COMMUNICATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER
The Prime Minister presented a communication on the following points:
The Role of Youth in Senegal’s Transformation Policy through National Civic Service
For the Prime Minister, the supervision and mobilization of youth to ensure their optimal contribution to nation-building remain a top government priority. He stressed that sustainable development depends not only on economic performance but also on the quality of human capital and strong civic values, which are essential for social cohesion and institutional stability.
In this regard, civic service and volunteerism are key tools for citizenship education, collective engagement, and youth mobilization around socially beneficial projects.
He highlighted ongoing initiatives, including the establishment of an African-oriented Systemic Transformation Center and civic vocational centers across territories. He also outlined efforts to promote civic engagement and volunteerism, including civic and patriotic education, youth mobilization in agriculture and consumer sectors, National Volunteer Week, International Volunteer Day activities, awareness campaigns on active citizenship, and citizen agricultural holiday programs.
He further announced upcoming measures, including the creation of a Senior Volunteer Program, strengthening civic education through curriculum reform, preparation of a national consultation framework on civic engagement, finalization of decrees implementing the general law on volunteerism and governing the Directorate General of National Civic Service and Volunteerism (DGSCNV), and the establishment of a National Committee of Volunteer Actors and a one-stop volunteer service platform.
Reform of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) within the National Transformation Agenda
The Prime Minister noted that transformation requires a strong pool of technical and scientific talent, including engineers, researchers, and skilled professionals capable of driving major structural projects.
However, he pointed out that the 2025 baccalaureate results reveal a significant imbalance, with literary streams dominating. Entire academic regions such as Kaffrine, Louga, Matam, and Sédhiou had no candidates in technical streams. Of the 77,388 successful candidates in 2025, only 15,888 were in science and technical fields, compared to 59,575 in literary streams.
Regretting this structural mismatch between the education system and economic needs, he issued the following instructions:
to the Minister of National Education: to undertake a comprehensive reform of student orientation mechanisms and enhance the attractiveness of science streams;
to the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, in coordination with the Minister of Vocational Training: to restructure training offerings to align with national transformation needs, with the goal of increasing technical stream enrollment from 2.07% to at least 15% within five years;
to the Minister of Higher Education: to develop preparatory classes for elite institutions (CPGE).
He also announced plans for a nationwide university tour and tasked the Ministry of Higher Education, in coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office, with organizing it and producing a strategic report with actionable recommendations and a monitoring plan.
UNDER MINISTERIAL COMMUNICATIONS
The Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation presented an update on recent economic developments and outlook.
The Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs reported on the monitoring of requests on e-Senegal.
The Minister of National Education reported on planned changes to the entrance examination for lower secondary school.
Marie Rose Khady Fatou FAYE
Secretary of State to the Prime Minister,
in charge of Relations with Institutions,
Government Spokesperson.