Senegal’s stalled infrastructure projects cost billions, warns Prime Minister

Dakar, May 21 — Senegal has 245 stalled infrastructure projects worth 279 billion West African CFA francs in public investment, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced today during an interministerial infrastructure council meeting.

Following a directive from the April 15 Council of Ministers, ministers were tasked with identifying blocked projects within their respective sectors. The technical assessment revealed that these 245 projects—either partially completed or fully constructed but unused—have created dormant assets totaling 279 billion CFA francs.

Financial constraints and technical hurdles behind delays

According to Sonko, insufficient funding is the primary cause of these delays. However, technical challenges also contribute to the standstill, with some projects halted mid-construction due to unresolved engineering issues.

The Prime Minister emphasized that many of these projects were initiated without proper foresight into their operational viability, leading to avoidable financial losses. “It is inconceivable to build infrastructure without planning for its use,” he stated, highlighting how this oversight has exacerbated the problem.

Government responds with decisive measures

Sonko outlined two key actions to address the issue: first, the establishment of a dedicated committee at the Prime Minister’s office to finalize and expand the inventory of stalled projects; second, a formal request to ministries to complete and refine their assessments, which he believes are currently incomplete.

He also urged officials to proactively address technical obstacles, particularly those related to connecting water and electricity networks to the stalled projects. Failure to resolve these issues risks further delays and financial drain.

Accountability and urgent reforms needed

The Prime Minister condemned the roublardise, negligence, and laxity that have prolonged these infrastructure delays, calling for a zero-tolerance policy moving forward. “These failures result in massive losses and unacceptable delays,” he asserted, stressing that such inefficiencies must end immediately.