The Project to Support the Renewal of Vacuum Trucks (PARC) has just completed its first phase, with the handover of 40 brand-new vacuum trucks to the Association of Sanitation Stakeholders of Senegal (AAAS). The official symbolic handover ceremony took place this Friday, January 23, 2026, at the Cambérène Wastewater Treatment Plant in Dakar, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Dr. Cheikh Tidiane Dièye. Also present were the Director General of ONAS, Mr. Séni Diène; the representative of the Director General of BNDE, Mr. Pape Samba Diop; the representative of the General Delegate of DER/FJ; the President of AAAS, Mr. Ibra Sow; and others.

An important step forward has been achieved thanks to the support and efforts of ONAS and its partners.

Despite the difficulties encountered, the Project to Support the Renewal of Vacuum Trucks (PARC) has passed this important stage in its implementation thanks to the support and tireless efforts deployed together by the Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (DER/FJ), the National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE) and the Gates Foundation, through the National Sanitation Office of Senegal (ONAS).

This project, vital for on-site sanitation, falls within the framework of the program for scaling up the structuring of the Senegalese sludge market (PME-SMBV). Its primary objective is the modernization of the existing fleet through the gradual replacement of outdated vehicles with a high environmental impact.

Through this project, ONAS, through its 2030 strategy and this program to scale up the structuring of the sludge market, aims to establish a genuine value chain in on-site sanitation in Senegal. The goal is to implement a structured and sustainable solution designed to improve the quality of sludge removal services, strengthen the professionalization of the sector, and contribute to environmental protection and public health in Senegal.

2 billion CFA francs in funding for stakeholders

To address the difficulties in accessing financing and the aging of the fleet (aged on average 30 years), a joint initiative involving the National Sanitation Office of Senegal, the Gates Foundation, the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth, the National Bank for Economic Development (BNDE) and the Association of Sanitation Actors of Senegal (AAAS) led to the launch, in February 2021, of the Project to Support the Renewal of Vacuum Trucks (PARC).

The project is based on the AFTU model and aims to replace 95% of the aging fleet, or 300 new trucks over 5 years, for a total estimated cost of 15 billion CFA francs. The pilot phase, financed to the tune of 2 billion CFA francs, enabled the acquisition of around forty trucks through a leasing mechanism with favorable terms.

"With these trucks, Senegal will begin the shift towards modernizing the transport link in the autonomous sanitation sector and transforming the sub-sector..."

The minister, after praising and commending the tireless efforts and support of ONAS and its partners for the realization of this vital project for autonomous sanitation, maintained that with these trucks equipped with new technologies, Senegal will begin the shift towards modernizing the transport link of autonomous sanitation and transforming the sub-sector into a genuine niche for job and wealth creation.

According to Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, safe access to sanitation, in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6), will only be achievable when the transport of sludge from cesspools to the unloading site is carried out safely, minimizing or eliminating leaks that could be a source of contamination of the soil, the water table or the dissemination of pathogenic germs.

The beneficiaries are invited to work towards the capitalization of the project.

In this regard, the state authority invited all stakeholders to work towards capitalizing on this project with its significant social impact. "We have a common but shared responsibility to make this project profitable. As you know, the Project to Support the Renewal of Vacuum Trucks (PARC) is a pilot project that could be replicated in other countries of the sub-region. You hold the key to scaling it up in Senegal and other countries. That is why every stakeholder must spare no effort to ensure the project's success, which would encourage development partners to support other countries," the Minister of Water and Sanitation told the beneficiaries.