The Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, presided over the weekly Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at the Palace of the Republic.
At the outset of his address, the President of the Republic extended his warm congratulations to the Catholic community following the election of the new Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, a man of faith and openness who places his priestly mission under the banner of dialogue, solidarity, and unity among peoples to foster a world of peace, stability, and justice.
In this spirit, he urged the Government to take all necessary measures and appropriate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the 137th edition of the Popenguine Marian Pilgrimage on June 7, 8, and 9, 2025. The Head of State addressed the issue of systematic oversight and regulation of building and public works construction. In recent years, there has been a noted increase in building collapses, particularly during the rainy season. This underscores that the quality, durability, and safety of constructions, in accordance with standards, must remain priorities in implementing construction and housing policies.
Thus, the President of the Republic called on the Government to intensify construction oversight to establish a national mapping of the situation, incorporating specific measures for each identified case, ranging from corrective actions to ensure compliance with initially authorized plans to the demolition of dilapidated or at-risk buildings.
He instructed the Minister in charge of Urban Planning and Construction and the Minister of the Interior and Public Security to work with mayors and civil protection services to launch a national awareness campaign on urban planning rules and the provisions of the Construction Code, the full enforcement of which must face no obstacles. He emphasized the need for homologation of construction materials on the market, rigorous oversight of construction works with regular inspections by competent state services, and the issuance of compliance certificates based on duly validated building permits following systematic input from relevant technical and administrative authorities.
In this regard, the Head of State reminded the Government, in line with his directives from the Council of Ministers meeting on December 18, 2024, of the urgency to scale up the activities of the National Reference Laboratory for Buildings and Public Works (LNR-BTP), established by Law No. 2023-12 of June 21, 2023. The implementing decree No. 2023-1780 of August 29, 2023, outlines the entity’s specific missions, including the accreditation of study and testing laboratories, homologation of materials and products used in buildings and public works, oversight of geotechnical studies, and prevention of natural and environmental risks. He also highlighted the urgency for each ministry to assess the condition and civil safety of buildings housing administrative services, as per his directives from the Council of Ministers meeting on April 9, 2025.
Additionally, he stressed the need to develop, in collaboration with the Order of Architects, a preventive strategy for harmonizing and overseeing construction and architecture in Senegal’s various cities and communes. The Head of State also addressed the issue of promoting youth and women’s entrepreneurship to support job creation. He congratulated the Prime Minister for the successful launch, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, of the new phase of the Project to Support and Promote Entrepreneurial Initiatives of Women and Youth (PAVIE 2), endowed with 107.2 billion FCFA.
He emphasized the need to further support youth and women’s entrepreneurship by accelerating the territorialization of support and financing mechanisms and optimizing public interventions for target groups. This should enhance the sustainable transformation of high-growth and job-creating sectors such as agriculture, livestock, fisheries, crafts, and digital technology. He instructed the Prime Minister to ensure equitable distribution of funding across all localities, prioritizing projects with significant impact on agricultural production transformation and food sovereignty.
The Head of State also directed the Prime Minister to prioritize PAVIE funding toward the sustainable economic empowerment of women, particularly rural women, highlighting the importance of the upcoming adoption of the draft framework law on women’s economic empowerment.
The President of the Republic stressed the importance of consensus in implementing the national strategy for managing hydrocarbon resources. He commended the Government, particularly the Minister in charge of Energy and Petroleum, and all public and private national stakeholders contributing to the dynamism and governance of this highly strategic economic sector, managed under the principles of transparency and accountability.
In this critical phase of reclaiming our natural resources, particularly mining, oil, and gas, and gradually transitioning some SENELEC power plants to gas, he instructed the Prime Minister to ensure proper execution of contracts signed with partners and optimal sector governance with the involvement of all public and private stakeholders.
Furthermore, the Head of State reaffirmed his commitment to developing local content, with state support for promoting national champions in the oil and gas sector. He also emphasized the need to review the Stabilization Fund and the Intergenerational Fund, managed under the mandate of FONSIS.
Ultimately, he tasked the Minister in charge of Energy and Petroleum, the Minister of Finance and Budget, the Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation, and the Permanent Secretariat of the Strategic Orientation Committee for Oil and Gas (COS-PETROGAZ) to prepare, under the Prime Minister’s supervision, the first meeting of the body under his leadership before the end of July 2025, with the participation of designated members and all representatives of the national private sector. The revival of teaching national languages and literacy programs, as well as the consolidation of Daaras in the education system, remains one of the President of the Republic’s concerns.
He instructed the Minister of National Education and the Minister in charge of Literacy to engage with stakeholders in a concerted evaluation and sustained revitalization of literacy and national language education policies. Literacy in our national languages is a key factor in strengthening our sovereignty.
To this end, he directed the Minister of National Education to assess the teaching of codified national languages and promote their common use (reading and writing) in all sectors of institutional, administrative, academic, economic, and social life. He also welcomed the launch, the previous day, of the National Daara Conference. These inclusive consultations will enable the consensual implementation of multisectoral action plans to better integrate Daaras into our country’s educational and economic systems.
Finally, regarding his diplomatic agenda, the President of the Republic reviewed his participation on May 12, 2025, in Abidjan, at the 2025 Africa CEO Forum, where he met several international investors interested in developing projects and win-win partnerships with Senegal as part of the implementation of the National Transformation Agenda “Senegal Vision 2050.”
In his address, the Prime Minister focused on supporting struggling companies and modernizing public administration. Regarding support for struggling companies, the Prime Minister, after highlighting the central role of parastatal companies in strengthening the competitiveness of the national economy and job creation, addressed their difficulties, which stem from poor governance and risky strategic choices that have placed them outside any performance dynamic.
The Prime Minister recalled the adoption of an action plan to ensure the safeguarding and revival of the two main public air transport operators, AIBD SA and Air Sénégal SA, through decisions from the interministerial council on Thursday, April 3, 2025. He instructed the relevant ministerial departments to ensure regular monitoring of these decisions for rigorous and efficient management of the revival process.
The Prime Minister also tasked the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, and the Minister of Finance and Budget with relaunching the Interministerial Committee for Monitoring and Restructuring Public and Parastatal Companies and establishing the Revival Fund for restructuring public companies and majority state-owned companies.
The Prime Minister further emphasized the need to adopt a new policy that breaks with past management practices. Regarding the modernization of public administration, the Prime Minister noted that it is the main lever for implementing the Senegal Vision 2050, as outlined in the National Transformation Agenda. Its transformation and modernization are crucial for achieving an efficient public service. To this end, the Prime Minister outlined measures to accelerate digitalization, optimize procedures, and professionalize the state’s human resources, particularly public managers.
The Prime Minister also stressed the need for capacity building in change management, administrative efficiency, ethics, and professional awareness to build a true development-oriented administration with the necessary pillars to achieve Senegal Vision 2050.
MINISTERIAL COMMUNICATIONS:
- The Minister of Environment and Ecological Transition reported on the organization of the World Congress on Marine Protected Areas scheduled for 2027 in Dakar.
- The Minister of Youth, Sports, and Culture provided an update on the status of partnership agreements for the delivery of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG).
LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY TEXTS: The Council reviewed and adopted:
- The draft law authorizing the President of the Republic to ratify the protocols amending Articles 50(a) and 56 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Montreal on October 6, 2016.
INDIVIDUAL MEASURES: The President of the Republic made the following decisions:
At the Presidency of the Republic:
- Colonel Aly MIME, Commander of the Infrastructure Transmission Battalion, is appointed Director General of Encryption and Information Systems Security, replacing Mr. Babacar NDAO, who has retired.
- Mr. El Hadji Bouya AMAR, Civil Administrator at the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security, registration number 604 454 H, is appointed Secretary General of the National Cybersecurity School, a vacant position.
At the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Livestock:
- Mr. Cheikh Tidiane MBODJI, Colonel (ret.), previously Minister-Counselor at the Presidency of the Republic, is appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Stud Farm, a vacant position.
At the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation:
- Mr. Mamadou SARR, Full Professor, is appointed Director General of the Rose Dieng France-Senegal University (formerly Franco-Senegalese Campus), replacing Mr. Magueye GUEYE, who has retired.
- Mr. François Joseph CABRAL, Full Professor, is appointed Coordinator of the Eastern Senegal University, replacing Mr. Kandioura NOBA, who has retired.
- Mr. Mamadou Mactar Mbacké LEYE, Full Professor, is appointed Director of the National School of Health and Social Development (ENDSS), replacing Mr. Daouda FAYE.
- Ms. Tiguida WAGUÉ, Prefect of the Mbirkilane Department, is appointed Secretary General of the Assane SECK University in Ziguinchor, a vacant position.
At the Ministry of Finance and Budget:
- Mr. Amadou Lamine GUISSE, Civil Administrator, registration number 616 316 C, is appointed Secretary General of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), replacing Mr. Cheikh Déthialaw SECK.
At the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital Technology:
- Mr. Oumar Diène SAKHO, Expert in Economic Regulation of Digital and Postal Sectors, is appointed Chairman of the Board of the Telecommunications and Posts Regulatory Authority (ARTP).
- Mr. Malick NDIAYE, Senior Expert in Digital Policy and Regulation, is appointed a member of the ARTP Board.
- Mr. Mor NDIAYE, Expert in Innovation and Digital Transformation, is appointed a member of the ARTP Board.
- Mr. Yamar SAMB, Associate Professor of Law, is appointed a member of the ARTP Board.
- Mr. Mamadou THIOMBANE, Inspector of Posts and Financial Services, is appointed a member of the ARTP Board.
- Ms. Khady Ndiaye KAMA, Expert in Fintech, Innovation, and Digital Transformation, is appointed a member of the ARTP Board.
- Ms. Mana Mint Mohemd Salem AIDARA, Telecommunications Regulation Expert and Electronics Engineer, is appointed a member of the ARTP Board.
At the Ministry of Health and Social Action:
- Ms. Mame Khady Sidy Aly BADJI, Civil Administrator, registration number 616 251 M, is appointed Secretary General of the National Supply Pharmacy (SEN PNA), replacing Mr. Souleymane SOUMARÉ.
At the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security:
- Mr. Babacar KANE, Civil Administrator, registration number 616 301 G, is appointed Governor of the Kaffrine Region, replacing Mr. Moustapha DIAW, who has retired.
At the Ministry of Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport:
- Mr. Boubacar DIALLO, Banking Executive, is appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Senegal Railways Company (CFS), replacing Mr. Mayacine KAMARA.
Minister of Vocational and Technical Training, Government Spokesperson: Amadou Moustapha Njekk SARRE