The Council of Ministers was held on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, under the chairmanship of His Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE, President of the Republic.

UNDER THE HEADING OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC'S COMMUNICATION

The Head of State made a statement covering the following points:

Development of a national civil protection culture

The President of the Republic first noted a resurgence and increase in cases of fires, bushfires, road accidents, building collapses, and drownings. He also highlighted the worsening of natural disasters, river flooding, the risk of flooding, and the accelerated advance of the sea, which threaten many localities across the country. Furthermore, he expressed national compassion and solidarity with the people of the village of Touba Thiarène, the site of a devastating fire. For the Head of State, this situation calls for a fundamental transformation of prevention and civil protection mechanisms.

To this end, and in anticipation of the celebration of International Civil Defence Day on March 1st, the Head of State has instructed the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior and Public Security to take the necessary steps to validate the National Civil Protection and Disaster Risk Management Strategy. He also emphasized the urgent need to ensure the optimal implementation of the Infrastructure and Equipment Development Plan for the National Fire Brigade (BNSP).

The President of the Republic emphasizes the importance of strengthening the human resources in service at the level of the BNSP, of committing the means to develop a national culture of civil protection and of establishing a framework for volunteering concerning firefighters and civil protection in general.

Furthermore, the Head of State insists on the urgency of restructuring the national civil protection governance system, including the High Commission, regional commissions and auxiliary civil protection commissions, and of updating the national plans for the prevention and management of risks and disasters, including the Emergency Response Organization Plan (ORSEC).

He instructs the Minister of the Interior and Public Security and the Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Spatial Development to consider, with the public and professional actors involved, the establishment of a National Center for the Prevention and Management of Risks and Disasters.

Finally, the President of the Republic asks the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior and Public Security to initiate the process of creating a robust national structure for the strategic governance of Civil Protection, with strengthened human resources and appropriate means.

Sustainable Improvement of Urban and Interurban Mobility

The President of the Republic reminds the Government that the safe movement of people and goods is a priority of the Project for a sovereign, just, and prosperous Senegal and remains a driver of economic and social development. He emphasizes the need to regulate vehicle traffic and improve road safety.

In this regard, he asks the Government to implement appropriate measures to improve intercity and urban mobility, targeting in particular the Dakar metropolitan area, certain cities and road axes identified as accident-prone.

The President of the Republic reiterates the importance of increasing the diversification of modes of transport for people and goods between the different regions, while ensuring the development of the rail network and improving the quality of public transport systems. In this regard, he instructs the Minister of Land and Air Transport to hold consultations with all stakeholders to redefine the priorities and options of public transport structures, based on a logic of complementarity, strengthening the national network, and optimizing operating costs and fares. With regard to private carriers and their associations, the Head of State calls for an inclusive discussion on how to modernize vehicle fleets and transport systems, ensuring, through revised and adapted regulations, the facilitation of the mobility of people and goods.

Finally, the President of the Republic asks the Minister of Land and Air Transport to strengthen social dialogue with stakeholders in the transport sector and to propose, before the end of May 2026, a new concerted system for improving intercity and urban mobility.

Knowledge, preservation and enhancement of the national historical heritage

The President of the Republic notes that Senegal possesses an exceptional tangible and intangible national heritage, the promotion of which contributes to economic development and international cultural influence. To this end, he requests a consensual update, before the end of 2026, of the inventory and classification of tangible and intangible assets belonging to the historical heritage, and the organization of an International Forum on the Historical Heritage of Senegal in December 2026.

Furthermore, the Head of State indicates to the Government the urgency of developing a strategy for expanding and preserving sites, historical monuments and classified national assets, particularly those in UNESCO World Heritage, and of undertaking, with the involvement of renowned experts, the research necessary for the effective return of national cultural assets to the historical heritage of Senegal.

UNDER THE HEADING OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S COMMUNICATION

The Prime Minister presented his statement on the following points:

social housing

The Prime Minister stressed that, within the framework of the implementation of the National Transformation Agenda, Senegal 2050, the social housing sector constitutes one of the components with a strong driving effect for the national economy, whose development will allow the establishment of a sustainable housing program, particularly social housing.

For the Prime Minister, the strategic choice of the social housing ecosystem aims to strengthen economic competitiveness, to guarantee every citizen access to decent housing, the cost of which is economically sustainable, in the hub or region of their choice, within the framework of balanced territorial development.

The Prime Minister diagnosed the housing shortage, highlighting the structural imbalance between supply and demand, rapid urbanization, and inequalities in access to housing and urban services. He called for the development of a genuine National Housing Strategy, focused on land tenure security, the implementation of appropriate legislation, sustainable financing, and social and territorial equity in access to housing. This strategy, aligned with the new housing policy, must be operationalized through the implementation of a new housing program based on a diverse range of options, with an economic model grounded in accessible financing and marketing mechanisms.

According to the Prime Minister, given the current production of formal housing concentrated between the regions of Thiès and Dakar, the sector faces major structural constraints, including problems of access to land for private developers, cooperatives and public operators, difficulties in mobilizing adequate and sustainable financing, weak support for cooperatives and private developers, weak support for actors in the informal sector and some civil servants and weak support for cooperatives.

The Prime Minister therefore emphasized the need to identify and eliminate bottlenecks such as access to land, delays in administrative procedures, and the dominant financial model based on bank mortgage loans. He announced the structural reforms initiated, notably the "Cities of Transformation" project. Furthermore, he instructed the Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities, and Territorial Development to develop the Greater Dakar Urban Development and Planning Scheme (SAUDAK) and to accelerate the process of developing the Integrated Development Plan for the area encompassing the New City of Thiès, the Thiès Urban Development Zone (ZAC), and the Daga Kholpa Urban Hub. The Prime Minister also asked for the strengthening of SAFRU's intervention capacities, for accelerating the implementation of the social housing program by relying mainly on self-construction, for revitalizing housing cooperatives and for significantly strengthening the institutional resources of the Bureau of the Project for Assistance to Communities for Social Housing (BAHSO).

The Prime Minister has finally instructed the Secretary of State for Housing, in conjunction with the relevant ministerial departments, to take all necessary steps to develop public-private partnerships to make operational the option he has identified in the various Territorial Hubs, with the creation of modern and productive housing hubs and to translate into reality the "Cities of Transformation".

Diaspora Real Estate Fund

The Prime Minister recalled the instructions given by the President of the Republic during the first National Diaspora Day. The subsequent discussions, initiated by the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, led to the proposal to create a Senegalese Diaspora Real Estate Fund.

The Prime Minister recalled that remittances from the Senegalese Diaspora represent nearly 10% of GDP, or 2200 billion FCFA per year, mainly intended for consumption.

The Prime Minister presented the concept of the Senegal Diaspora Real Estate Investment Fund (FCPI-DS) which would aim to transform these flows into rental real estate investments, generating regular income for families, while building a sustainable asset for this Diaspora, without public debt.

He asked the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation to finalize the discussions with stakeholders and to present them soon to the Council of Ministers.

UNDER THE HEADING OF COMMUNICATION FROM THE MINISTERS

The Minister of Health and Public Hygiene gave a presentation on the theme: "Health in all policies: an imperative for the success of the Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy".

The Minister of Youth and Sports gave a report on the progress of the work undertaken in preparation for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Dakar 2026.

UNDER LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY TEXTS

The Council examined and adopted:

- the draft decree establishing and setting the rules for the organization and operation of the Market Regulation Agency (ARM);

- the draft decree establishing the market regulation fee.

Marie Rose Khady Fatou FAYE,

Secretary of State to the Prime Minister,

Head of Institutional Relations,

Government Spokesperson