PRESS RELEASE OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS WEDNESDAY, 4 FEBRUARY 2026

The Council of Ministers met on Wednesday, 4 February 2026, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, President of the Republic.

The Head of State delivered a communication covering the following items:

Opening his communication, the President of the Republic emphasized that the development of railways and rail transport constitutes a national priority within the framework of territorial planning and attractiveness. To this end, he instructed the Minister of Land and Air Transport to assess the status of implementation of projects and reforms relating to the railway sector. He also highlighted the urgency of accelerating the rehabilitation and modernization of the Dakar–Tambacounda railway line, finalizing the National Railway Policy with a 2050 horizon, and conducting a comprehensive assessment of social dialogue and the grievances of staff currently working in the sector.

Furthermore, the Head of State instructed the Minister of Land and Air Transport, in coordination with APIX and all stakeholders, to ensure the commissioning of Phase II of the Regional Express Train (TER), including the construction of the Sébikhotane station. He tasked the Prime Minister with convening an interministerial council on the railway sector and ensuring the implementation of resettlement plans for persons affected by the TER project.

The Head of State recalled the fundamental role of the water sector in the well-being of populations and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He commended Senegal’s recognized leadership in this area and called for the acceleration of all projects relating to water resources and sanitation, while ensuring the launch of the “Grand Water Transfer” project and the new Flood Prevention and Management Program.

The President of the Republic stressed the need to ensure the implementation of the recommendations of the National Consultations on Water and Sanitation, by accelerating the rollout of the borehole and hydraulic infrastructure renewal program and intensifying desalination unit projects. He instructed the Minister of Water and Sanitation to finalize complementary reforms in the urban and rural water sub-sectors, redefine master plans for water and sanitation by 2050, and update overall governance, the economic model, and regulation of the water sector as a whole.

The President of the Republic also requested the Prime Minister to finalize the legal texts relating to the Water Code and the regulatory authority for the sector.

Finally, he instructed the Minister of Water and Sanitation and the Minister in charge of Energy to ensure continuous monitoring of the implementation status of Senegal’s commitments under the OMVS and OMVG projects.

Cancer prevention and control

The President of the Republic noted that the international community is observing World Cancer Day on 4 February 2026. In this regard, he called for strengthened prevention efforts, public awareness, and early detection of cancers, particularly cancers affecting children and women. He underscored the urgency of improving access to treatment and care for patients and of completing the construction, equipping, and commissioning of the National Oncology Center in Diamniadio.

In this context, he instructed the Prime Minister to oversee the implementation of a ten-year National Program for Cancer Prevention and Control.

Considering the territorialization of public policies as a guiding principle for implementing the National Transformation Agenda, Senegal 2050, the Head of State called for the acceleration of the territorial rollout of public programs and projects, in coordination with local authorities and decentralized state services, under the leadership of governors, prefects, and sub-prefects.

In this regard, he reaffirmed his commitment to opening up territories and rural areas through the acceleration of road and highway programs, the construction of rural roads, and the deployment of water, digital, electrification, and basic community and social infrastructure projects.

He also instructed the Prime Minister to ensure the acceleration of programs aimed at eliminating temporary shelters and modernizing school infrastructure, as well as updating the national health map to include the construction of new health facilities across all regions.

In order to strengthen the scaling-up of Territorial Development Poles and reinforce the doctrine of a proximity-based State, the President announced that he would continue to conduct regular economic visits to the regions. In this context, his next tour will take place from 5 to 8 February 2026 in the regions of Tambacounda and Kédougou, with a view to assessing the handling of economic, social, and environmental emergencies and priorities.

In anticipation of the commemoration of the fortieth (40th) anniversary of the passing of Professor Cheikh Anta DIOP on 7 February 2026, the Head of State paid a heartfelt tribute, on behalf of the Nation, to this renowned academic, distinguished patriot, and committed Pan-Africanist, whose scientific work and national and international positions made a significant contribution to raising awareness.

To this end, he instructed the Government to intensify efforts to open up and promote Thieytou and to work with the family of the late scholar and all other stakeholders to popularize and perpetuate the monumental work of Cheikh Anta DIOP within school and university curricula and through artistic creation.

The Head of State informed the Council that he carried out an official visit to the Republic of the Congo on 2 and 3 February 2026, at the invitation of His Excellency President Denis Sassou NGUESSO.

The Prime Minister focused his communication on the following points:

Presidential Investment Council

The Prime Minister first reported to the President of the Republic on the state of preparations for the upcoming Presidential Investment Council (PIC), scheduled for late March 2026. He presented the revamped framework for steering and guiding investments.

Addressing the framework of the partnership between the private sector and the State, he emphasized that under the National Transformation Agenda, Senegal 2050, national and foreign private investment lies at the heart of the economic transformation strategy. Private investment thus emerges as a key driver of growth, competitiveness, job creation, and productive sovereignty. This ambition requires the development of a new type of partnership between the State and the private sector aimed at increasing private investment in the Senegalese economy.

The Prime Minister highlighted the overall upward trend in private investment in Senegal, reflecting enhanced economic attractiveness, as confirmed by recent performance indicators reported in the Business Ready report. In this context, strengthening the framework for dialogue, decision-making, and reform oversight in favor of private investment appears as a central lever for consolidating investor confidence, channeling flows toward national strategic priorities, and maximizing their economic impact.

According to the Prime Minister, the revamped PIC aims to accelerate reforms and remove obstacles to investment. This new format is based on a streamlined and hierarchical institutional organization comprising a Presidential Session, an Interministerial Council, and a Monitoring Committee.

Expected deliverables include regular reports, notably a general evaluation report on the incentive system, a report on investment-friendly reforms, a report on digitized procedures, a report on territorial coverage and industrial progress, as well as a monitoring and evaluation report on the “Sunu Champion” Initiative.

The Prime Minister noted that the reform project of the Presidential Investment Council will be the subject of consultations with the private sector in the presence of the relevant administrations and instructed the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, to take all necessary steps, in coordination with APIX, to finalize this important project.

Report on the mission to Morocco

The Prime Minister reported on his mission to the Kingdom of Morocco as part of the Fifteenth (15th) Senegalese–Moroccan Joint High Commission for Cooperation, during which seventeen (17) new agreements and memorandums of understanding were signed, covering the industrial, mining, agricultural, digital, logistics, and training sectors.

On the sidelines of the Joint Commission, bilateral meetings were held with Moroccan economic operators already present in or interested in Senegal. He also reported on his visit to the integrated industrial complex of the OCP Group (Office Chérifien des Phosphates).

The Prime Minister instructed all concerned ministries to submit to the Prime Minister’s Office a detailed action plan for the implementation of the agreements and commitments arising from this mission, along with a framework for regular consultation with Moroccan partners and national economic stakeholders.

The Minister of State to the President of the Republic in charge of Monitoring, Steering, and Evaluation of the National Transformation Agenda, Senegal 2050, presented a communication on the structuring and modernization of processes.

The Council examined and adopted the draft decree establishing the rules for the organization and functioning of the Directorate General for the Monitoring and Control of Land Use (DGSCOS).

The President of the Republic took the following decision:

Mr. Babacar BA, Civil Administrator, payroll number 624 582/I, is appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Handicrafts and Tourism, replacing Ms. Seynabou NIANG.

Marie Rose Khady Fatou FAYE

Secretary of State to the Prime Minister,

in charge of Relations with Institutions,

Government Spokesperson