As part of the establishment of the Territorial Poles, the State of Senegal, under the leadership of the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the Ministry of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Territorial Development has initiated an inclusive process of territorial consultations. These consultations, conducted within the eight territorial poles from January to September 2025, made it possible to gather the concerns, priorities and proposals of the various territorial stakeholders in terms of governance, development and territorial planning. Thus, in order to capitalize on these contributions and enrich the reform process, the said ministry organized a national sharing day dedicated to summarizing and consolidating the minutes of the consultations on the Poles. This meeting, which was held this Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center (CICAD) in Diamniadio, Dakar, with the participation of all territorial actors in the country.

“Share and discuss the working document of summaries and reports from the consultations in the eight territorial hubs with a view to consolidating the provisional report”

The main purpose of this day of work, synthesis and consolidation of the minutes of the consultations on the territorial hubs is to "share and discuss the working document of the summaries and minutes resulting from the consultations in the eight Territorial Hubs with a view to consolidating the provisional report". Specifically, it is a question of presenting the minutes of the consultations resulting from the eight Territorial Hubs; promoting an inclusive dialogue between the State, the territorial administration, local authorities, civil society and technical and financial partners; identifying points of convergence and necessary adjustments with a view to the provisional report; and finally, consolidating the bases of a national consensus on the orientations of the reform of the Territorial Hubs.

"Despite successive reforms, the territories have not yet released all their energies"

On this occasion, the Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities, and Regional Development, in his opening remarks, returned to the challenges of this reform. "There are legacies that honor, and challenges that call for boldness. Since the dawn of our independence, a fundamental quest has driven our nation: that of a united Senegal, but above all, a balanced Senegal. A republic where each territory, each terroir, each citizen, wherever they are, fully participates in writing our common destiny. We have built, reform after reform, the foundations of this decentralization. Yet, one truth persists: the energy of our regions is still fallow, stifled by historical imbalances that concentrate opportunities and populations in a tiny part of our territory," emphasized Moussa Balla Fofana.

According to him, despite numerous successive reforms, "the territories have not yet released all their energies. And the imbalances remain glaring: nearly 47% of the population is concentrated in the West, around Dakar, Thiès and Diourbel, on barely 5% of the country's surface area."

To correct these imbalances, the minister stated that Act IV of decentralization will usher in a new era: that of territorial hubs, true development basins, instruments of economic sovereignty and social justice. And the territorial hubs will be the revenge of our regions on historical imbalances.

Better still, he adds that, in the architecture of the National Transformation Agenda and the National Development Strategy 2025-2029, the territorial hubs are not just another administrative reform. "They are the foundation of Senegal's endogenous development, the epicenters where spatial planning and major investments are articulated; the creation of local value chains; social and territorial inclusion; new, participatory and efficient governance."

According to Moussa Balla Fofana, "the future of Senegal will now be decided in Tambacounda as in Thiès, with the same intensity as in Dakar."

An unprecedented national campaign to mobilize all stakeholders around this reform

The Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities and Territorial Development also revealed that between February and September 2025, his ministry conducted an unprecedented national campaign to mobilize all stakeholders around this reform. This involves: 5,574 kilometers traveled through cities, villages and regions; 8 hubs visited, from Kaolack to Podor, from Louga to Sédhiou, from Tambacounda to Matam and from Thiès to Dakar; 2,327 participants mobilized, including 1,253 for consultations on the territorial hubs and 1,074 for Act IV.

"Never before has a reform been so widely discussed, debated, and co-constructed with citizens and their representatives. The figures illustrate the scale of the process: In Dakar: 651 participants (28% of the total), reflecting its role as capital and metropolis. In the South (Sédhiou-Kolda-Ziguinchor): 411 participants (18%), reflecting the strong expectations of a structuring hub. In Tambacounda-Kédougou: 321 participants (14%), despite the geographical distance. In the North (Saint-Louis, Podor): 320 participants (14%). In the Northeast (Matam): 260 participants (11%). In Diourbel-Louga: 162 participants (7%). In Thiès: 202 participants (9%). By category of actors, the trend is clear: local elected officials: 38.3% of participants, proof that communities are taking ownership of the reform. The private sector: 12.9%, confirming that the development of the hubs will be primarily economic. Decentralized technical services and local administrations: 16%. Civil society: 4.4%. Development partners: 2.3%,” he maintained.

According to him, "this mobilization demonstrates that this reform is not a decision imposed from above, but rather a collective construction, rooted in local realities."

The meeting was attended by all territorial stakeholders, including the President of the Association of Mayors of Senegal (AMS), Oumar Ba; the President of the Union of Associations of Local Elected Officials of Senegal (UAEL), Mamadou Oury Baïlo Diallo; the Secretary General of the Network of Local Elected Officials of Senegal (REELS), Mamadou Moustapha Djitté; and the President of the Association of Departments of Senegal (ADS), Ahmed Youssouf Benjelloun.