The municipality of Kédougou is currently undergoing an unprecedented urban transformation thanks to the Urban Modernization Program (PROMOVILLES), a vast territorial equity initiative deployed in 66 municipalities across Senegal's 14 regions. With financial support from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), this program has enabled the regional capital of the Southeast (Kédougou) to benefit, for the first time, from large-scale, transformative infrastructure projects, long awaited by the local population.

At the heart of this transformation is the construction of 6.45 kilometers of modern roads, spread across eight strategic axes identified in collaboration with the municipality. These roads are accompanied by a major drainage network covering 5.75 kilometers, including reinforced concrete gutters, PVC pipes, submersible culverts, and a surface drainage system.

In addition, 328 solar streetlights have been installed, providing several neighborhoods with unprecedented nighttime visibility and an increased sense of security.

But PROMOVILLES in Kédougou didn't stop at road infrastructure. The program also invested in human capital and social facilities. Sixty-two municipal employees were trained in local taxation, resource mobilization, and infrastructure management. In the education sector, 24 classrooms were built, several schools were renovated and equipped, including Ibrahima Danfakha and Tripano 1, while four primary schools were given perimeter walls.

The Women's House has been rehabilitated and equipped, a public square has been developed, a Geographic Information System (GIS) has been put in place and trees have been planted along the roads to improve the living environment.

As part of the Xëyu Ndaw Ñi program, 21,000 m² of paving was completed, providing training and employment for 44 young people at a cost of over 705 million FCFA. In total, 5.76 billion FCFA was invested in the modernization of the municipality.

Visible and immediate impacts on the lives of populations

Today, the infrastructure has been completed and is open to traffic. The effects are tangible. During the last rainy season, marked by exceptional rainfall, several neighborhoods were spared from flooding thanks to the drainage works carried out. Areas that were once isolated, such as Gada Dinguessou, Tripano, Togoro, Dandé Mayo, and Ndiormi, are now accessible year-round.

The mobility of people and goods has improved significantly. Minibuses, taxis, tricycles, "Jakarta" motorcycle taxis, and even vehicles accessible to people with reduced mobility can now serve these neighborhoods. In some cases, transportation fares have decreased, and garbage collection has been facilitated. Landscaping and street lighting also allow for nighttime use of the spaces for sports and social activities. Access to basic social infrastructure has been considerably improved.

A concrete response to territorial inequalities

Beyond physical achievements, PROMOVILLES is part of a broader strategy to reduce territorial disparities. The program promotes a better distribution of public investments across the country and strengthens the capacities of local authorities, which are involved in the planning and management of infrastructure to ensure its sustainability.

This momentum continues with the PA2VS initiative, which aims to modernize 95 secondary cities. The project is already well-developed, and funding requests have been submitted to technical and financial partners.

A program aligned with the Senegal 2050 Vision and the SDGs

PROMOVILLES is fully aligned with the Senegal 2050 Vision, particularly through its focus on human capital and land-use planning. It also contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 11 (inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities) and SDG 9 (resilient infrastructure and sustainable industrialization).

In Kédougou, the observation is clear: PROMOVILLES has profoundly changed the face of the municipality. What was yesterday a chronic infrastructure deficit is today a model of successful urban modernization, bringing hope to the population and new prospects for local development.