NEWS

Senegal has secured nearly CFAF 1 trillion (about US$1.7 billion) in financing commitments towards universal access to electricity by 2029. It has also agreed with the African Development Bank Group and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) on five priorities to convert those pledges into connections for the 6,471 localities still without power, in line with the targets outlined in its National Energy Compact under Mission 300.

The commitments were announced at a national roundtable in Dakar on the 6th of October, co-chaired by Dr El Hadji Abdourahmane Diouf, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, and Cheikh Diba, Minister of Economy, Finance and Planning, under the theme “From commitments to results”.

Development partners pledged CFAF 181 billion (about US$320 million) for new electrification projects, and the private sector pledged CFAF 817 billion (about US$1.4 billion), against an estimated financing need of CFAF 400 billion (about US$700 million) for the localities not yet covered by an existing project.

Senegal’s national electricity access rate stood at 86.2 per cent at the end of 2024, but only 69.8 per cent in rural areas. Of the country’s 25,725 localities, 12,683 are electrified and 6,571 are covered by projects already under way, leaving 6,471 – home to nearly one million people – still to be reached.

According to the Senegal Energy Compact Implementation Support Document (CISD), the investment portfolio to close the gap includes the extension of medium- and low-voltage electricity networks to approximately 3,978 localities, the deployment of solar mini-grids in 844 localities, and the installation of stand-alone solar systems in 1,649 localities. The programme also provides for the installation of 27,000 household biodigesters, as well as investments aimed at improving the performance of Senelec, the country’s national electricity company.

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