The grand final of Gov'athon 2025 was held this Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center (CICAD) in Diamniadio, under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Public Service Reform, in partnership with the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Affairs.

Placed under the theme "Innovation by and for citizens", this second edition celebrated the ingenuity of Senegalese youth in the service of a more modern, more efficient and closer administration to users, highlighting the central role of citizen participation in the transformation of public action.

An unprecedented national mobilization

In just ten days, 812 projects were submitted nationwide. Following the selection process, 21 finalist projects, led by 6 startups and 57 participants, including 12 students and 3 citizens, were chosen for the grand finale.

The Gov'athon, a hackathon dedicated to public administration, is thus establishing itself as a true laboratory of ideas, mobilizing public and private universities, startups and innovative citizens around concrete solutions aimed at improving public services.

Citizen-led solutions for a modern administration

The projects presented covered major themes: access to public services, inclusion, transparency, digital identity, administrative management, security, sanitation, health, agriculture, public finances, quality of user reception, among others.

Award-winning and supported laureates

Following deliberations, the jury selected the most innovative and impactful projects:

The Grand Prize for Excellence with a prize of 20 million FCFA was awarded to AgriDataGov, a solution dedicated to the management and exploitation of agricultural data.

The second prize, worth 10 million FCFA, was awarded to Sen Don de Sang, an innovative digital solution dedicated to optimizing public health services. The platform enables the rapid identification of blood types and the real-time location of available donors online, allowing for effective intervention in emergency situations and saving lives.

The 3rd Prize – 5 million FCFA plus other prizes – is awarded to Tontouma Bot, praised for his social impact.

Four encouragement prizes were also awarded to high-impact projects.

A strong commitment from the State

Present at the ceremony, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko praised the creativity and maturity of the young innovators, while reaffirming the State's commitment:

"Public service belongs to everyone. It must serve development, otherwise it becomes an obstacle. What we have seen here proves that Senegalese youth are not content to simply observe problems, they propose solutions."

He assured that the projects presented will benefit from post-Gov'athon support, with the direct involvement of the relevant ministries, in order to promote their experimentation and deployment on a national scale.

Olivier Boucal: “Citizen participation is no longer just a slogan”

Speaking before an assembly composed of government members, technical and financial partners, university officials and young innovators, the Minister of Public Service, Olivier Boucal, emphasized the strategic importance of the Gov'athon:

"This morning's ceremony is not just about celebrating award winners. It recognizes an approach: that of citizen participation applied to public action."

In a context marked by increasingly strong citizen expectations, the minister stressed the need to reinvent administrative culture:

"Our responsibility requires us to evolve our methods, our organizations, and our administrative culture in order to build an agile, efficient public service that respects the concerns of users."

For him, the Gov'athon goes far beyond a simple technology competition:

"It is a tool that allows, in a short time, for concrete solutions to administrative problems to emerge by mobilizing the talents of society."

Projects designed for real impact

Olivier Boucal reminded everyone that innovation must be judged by its real impact:

"Innovation is only valuable if it tangibly improves the lives of citizens. It is not measured by the number of speeches or presentations, but by its real effects."

Addressing the winners, he stressed the responsibility that accompanies this recognition: "Being awarded today is an honor, but above all a responsibility. An award-winning project is not an end, it's a beginning."

Towards GovLab SNs to anchor public innovation

In this context, the government aims to create public innovation labs (GovLab SN), in collaboration with the Ministry for Digital Affairs. These spaces will be dedicated to experimentation, applied research, and the co-creation of sustainable solutions.

"Public innovation must be responsible. It must strengthen trust, improve access to services, protect data and guarantee transparency," the minister insisted.

Citizen innovation, a pillar of digital sovereignty

In a context marked by the fourth industrial revolution, the authorities have emphasized digital sovereignty, data protection and the emergence of national champions capable of leading Senegal towards a more efficient, more inclusive and resolutely future-oriented administration.