Dakar — Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, has highlighted the pressing need for a radical overhaul of the country’s commercial infrastructure, citing critical safety hazards and structural decay plaguing its markets.
In an address to the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister described the current state of Senegal’s market facilities as ‘outdated and hazardous’, raising concerns over both public safety and economic efficiency. According to the government spokesperson, Marie Rose Faye, the assessment reveals systemic challenges across technical, infrastructure, organizational, environmental, and sanitation dimensions.
Over the past decade, Senegal has witnessed 53 major fires in markets between 2013 and 2024, underscoring the urgency of structural reforms. The Promotion and Management of Markets Program (PROMOGEM) has made strides in addressing these issues, but significant gaps remain.
a strategic roadmap for market transformation
The PROMOGEM has developed a five-year strategic plan (2025–2029) aimed at modernizing Senegal’s commercial landscape. This initiative includes:
- Restructuring all 528 existing markets to meet contemporary standards
- Building 67 new modern markets across the country
- Enhancing operational efficiency through innovative financing and budgetary optimization
call for institutional autonomy and financial empowerment
To accelerate progress, Ousmane Sonko has proposed a structural transformation of PROMOGEM, advocating for its evolution into an autonomous administrative and financial entity. This would include:
- A dedicated 57.5 billion CFA francs investment over four years from the national public investment plan
- Greater agility in project execution and resource allocation
- Enhanced capacity to attract alternative funding sources
The Prime Minister has tasked key ministers—including those overseeing Industry and Commerce, and Finance and Budget—with designing and implementing a nationwide network of modernized markets. He has also emphasized the importance of local governance and private sector collaboration in ensuring sustainable management of these facilities.
The proposed reforms signal a bold step toward revitalizing Senegal’s commercial ecosystem, addressing long-standing inefficiencies while fostering safer, more dynamic trading environments.
