The Council of Ministers met on Wednesday, March 4, 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 communication on the following points:
Stability of the National Education System
The President of the Republic began his address by emphasizing the imperative of ensuring the proper functioning of the school system, a cornerstone of the republican pact. In this regard, he reminded the Government and stakeholders in the education community of the importance of strengthening the culture of excellence and merit, as well as the credibility of the education system.
He urged the Government and teaching staff to ensure the stability of the social climate in order to guarantee the continuity of teaching activities and the smooth conduct of assessments, examinations, and competitive tests, through a renewed republican and patriotic commitment.
Furthermore, the Head of State asked the Government to ensure the improvement of living conditions in public schools by accelerating the implementation of the National Program for the Construction and Rehabilitation of schools, high schools, and middle schools, while integrating appropriate landscaping arrangements.
Finally, he instructed the Minister of National Education and the Minister of Vocational and Technical Training to intensify the revision of curricula to better adapt them to the needs of the national economy and to strengthen the integration of digital technologies in teaching and learning.
Policy to Improve the Status of Women
The President of the Republic welcomed the organization of the National Women’s Week in the context of the celebration of International Women’s Rights Day on March 8, 2026, under the theme “Rights, Equality, and Empowerment for All Women and Girls.”
Commending the efforts made by the Government and all partners to improve the condition of women, particularly those living in rural areas, the Head of State stressed the importance he attaches to girls’ education and to safeguarding gender equality and women’s rights.
In this regard, he pointed out to the Government the need to intensify awareness-raising efforts and the fight against discrimination and violence against women and girls, and to involve women’s organizations more actively in the implementation of public policies through projects and programs aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment.
Finally, the President asked the Minister of Family Affairs, Social Action and Solidarity to accelerate the necessary reforms for the economic promotion and social protection of women, and to organize, before the end of 2026, inclusive national consultations on women’s contribution to the implementation of the National Transformation Agenda, Senegal 2050.
Strengthening the Role of Livestock and Animal Production in Food Sovereignty
The President of the Republic noted that the livestock and animal production subsector plays a major role in the national economy and in food sovereignty.
In this regard, he asked the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock and the Secretary of State in charge of Cooperatives and Rural Support to intensify, in collaboration with livestock organizations, actions aimed at modernizing livestock farming and improving animal production.
The Head of State pointed out to the Government the urgency of strengthening efforts to promote meat self-sufficiency, establishing community cooperatives, and working with the relevant stakeholders toward the operationalization of a National Livestock Development Fund, a robust public financing instrument designed to mobilize domestic resources from sector value chains.
He also requested the launch of consultations aimed at modernizing the management system of slaughterhouses, cattle markets, livestock fairs, and pastoral infrastructure.
In this context, the Head of State invited the Minister in charge of Livestock and the Secretary of State for Cooperatives to evaluate the implementation of the Pastoral Code, intensify the transformation plan of the Dolly Ranch, and strengthen the resources of the Kébémer National Stud Farm.
He also called for the development of national schools, institutes, and training and research centers in fields related to livestock and animal production, the implementation of an advanced strategy to combat cattle theft, and the preparation of the next edition of the National Livestock Day.
Finally, he reiterated the urgency of adopting, as soon as possible, the draft Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral and Fisheries Orientation Law.
Monitoring the Effective Delivery of Infrastructure for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games
The President of the Republic informed the Council of his inspection visit on March 1, 2026, to review the progress of construction works and infrastructure related to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
He asked the Minister of Infrastructure to assess the level of execution of the various projects and address urgent issues related to their effective completion and delivery.
Finally, the Head of State emphasized the importance he attaches to improving living conditions in the host localities, particularly through the acceleration of development works and the construction of access roads to competition and accommodation sites located in the municipalities of Diamniadio and Saly Portudal.
UNDER THE COMMUNICATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER
The Prime Minister delivered a communication on the following points:
Rationalization of the Parapublic Sector
The Prime Minister recalled that during his appearance before the National Assembly on February 21, 2026, in response to a question-and-answer session, he outlined the precautionary and corrective measures that the Government intends to take to strengthen transparency in the management of public affairs.
Among these measures is the rationalization of the parapublic sector as part of the modernization of the Administration, the reduction of government operating costs, and the rationalization of public expenditure.
In this context, a working group was established to propose a rationalization plan for the parapublic sector by identifying overlapping missions, possible synergies, the exercise of similar responsibilities by the Administration, and appropriate repositioning.
Following its analysis of all concerned entities, the group proposed:
the abolition of nineteen (19) entities, representing budget allocations totaling 28.051 billion CFA francs in 2025, an annual wage bill estimated at 9.227 billion CFA francs, a workforce of 982 employees, and total debt of 2.6 billion CFA francs as of December 31, 2024;
the repositioning of ten (10) entities, including redefining intervention models, reaffirming their missions, revising or updating their legal frameworks, and adjusting their investment doctrines.
The Prime Minister noted that in some sectors, the adoption of a viable policy framework is a prerequisite for any rationalization process.
Overall, the operation would result in optimized organization of the parapublic sector and cumulative net budget savings estimated at at least 55 billion CFA francs over the next three years.
The Prime Minister also addressed the transfer of assets and social support measures, including staff redeployment and the management of legal disputes.
In this perspective, he urged all ministers to mobilize for the effective implementation of the rationalization plan, which will be overseen by an interministerial committee to be established shortly.
He also stressed that this plan must be accompanied by improved governance of the parapublic sector, focusing in particular on controlling salaries and staffing levels, harmonizing pay scales, optimizing the use of budgetary resources, updating the classification of structures, respecting creation standards, strengthening oversight and evaluation, and building institutional capacity.
He instructed the Minister of Finance and Budget, in coordination with the Minister, Secretary-General of the Government, to ensure strict compliance with the mandates of the Evaluation Commission of Executive Agencies and the Parapublic Sector Monitoring Committee, and to provide them with appropriate budgetary resources to ensure optimal functioning.
Need to Reformulate a New Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Policy
The Prime Minister recalled that the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 agricultural production campaigns were conducted with strengthened budgetary support, with initial subsidies of 120 billion CFA francs and 130 billion CFA francs, respectively.
These campaigns were marked by major innovations and reforms in input management, digitalization, and value-chain governance, in addition to favorable agro-climatic conditions.
As a result, agricultural production recorded generally satisfactory results, with significant increases in major crops despite the persistence of certain challenges.
The Prime Minister announced the finalization of a document which, in accordance with the Agro-Sylvo-Pastoral Orientation Law, will serve as the reference framework for the new Agricultural Policy, aligned with the National Transformation Agenda – Senegal 2050.
He therefore asked the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, in coordination with the Ministers of Industry and Trade, Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Finance and Budget, and all stakeholders, to finalize and submit by April 30, 2026, the New Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Policy, focused on agricultural modernization, sustainable development, and food sovereignty.
Securing Food Sovereignty by Reducing Post-Harvest Losses in the Onion and Potato Sectors
The Prime Minister drew the Government’s attention to post-harvest losses and marketing difficulties caused by inadequate infrastructure.
He expressed regret that post-harvest losses remain high, ranging between 30% and 40%.
He outlined the weaknesses of the post-harvest ecosystem and instructed the Minister of Trade, in coordination with the Ministers responsible for Agriculture, Local Authorities, Finance, and the Economy, to submit as soon as possible a Strategy for Storage Capacity Expansion across the eight territorial development hubs.
Preventive Measures for Macroeconomic, Energy, Logistical, and Social Protection
In light of the military escalation observed on the international stage, the Prime Minister highlighted the risks of disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, which could result not only in physical closure but also in price shocks, higher freight and insurance costs, and tensions in critical supply chains.
Given Senegal’s vulnerability, the national doctrine is to protect essential flows, target public support, prevent speculation, and centralize decision-making.
Consequently, the Prime Minister decided to establish, under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office, a crisis management mechanism. A hierarchical decision matrix has been developed, and consolidated situation reports will be submitted to the President of the Republic.
UNDER THE COMMUNICATIONS OF MINISTERS
The Minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines delivered a communication on the harmonization of butane gas cylinder prices and the management of gold panning activities.
The Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs delivered a communication on the progress of the Technological New Deal, one year after its implementation.
UNDER LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY TEXTS
The Council examined and adopted the draft law authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the agreement relating to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), adopted on June 19, 2023, in New York.
UNDER INDIVIDUAL MEASURES
The President of the Republic made the following appointments:
(Nominations translated and maintained in the same administrative format as in the original communiqué.)
Marie Rose Khady Fatou FAYE
Secretary of State to the Prime Minister,
in charge of Relations with Institutions,
Government Spokesperson.