Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s alarming audit reveals Senegal’s infrastructure crisis

During a recent interministerial council focused on state infrastructure and assets, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko presented a detailed audit outlining critical issues across numerous public projects and strategic holdings. Addressing government officials, the head of the executive painted a grim picture of how public infrastructure and land have been managed. He highlighted a pattern of unfinished projects, underutilized equipment, and state-owned properties allegedly transferred under dubious circumstances. The Prime Minister also voiced his profound dissatisfaction with the pace and effectiveness of legal proceedings related to the stewardship of public funds.

At the meeting, Ousmane Sonko disclosed that the inventory conducted by the Prime Minister’s office revealed 245 infrastructure projects and strategic assets nationwide that are currently either stalled, incomplete, or significantly underutilized. The total financial commitment for these projects, according to the presented data, exceeds 5,000 billion FCfa. The Prime Minister underscored that this sum is nearly equivalent to Senegal’s entire annual budget. He detailed the diverse range of affected infrastructure, which includes roads, hospitals, ports, sports stadiums, high schools, administrative buildings, and crucial cold storage facilities.

Challenges highlighted in the infrastructure audit

Commenting on the sheer magnitude of the funds involved, the head of government expressed that the audit report’s findings were “beyond comprehension.” He conveyed his astonishment at the vast resources tied up in infrastructure, much of which has remained unused for several years. Some observers, he noted, even liken this staggering amount to the nation’s public debt.

The audit presented at the Prime Minister’s office further identified 30 projects that are fully completed but have yet to be commissioned. Among these, 25 are reportedly facing significant operational hurdles, leading to a financial immobilization of 279 billion FCfa. The Prime Minister specifically cited the Port of Dakhonga, along with several fishing docks and cold storage facilities, as examples of substantial investments that have failed to deliver their intended benefits to the population.

Moreover, the report addressed the status of ongoing construction projects. Figures indicate that out of 94 infrastructure developments currently underway, 62 are virtually at a standstill. The financial outlay committed to these projects is estimated at over 5,227 billion FCfa. Ousmane Sonko drew particular attention to the Sandiara high school, stating that construction began in 2014 and remains unfinished. The Prime Minister condemned this protracted timeline as incompatible with the requirements for delivering an educational facility.

Beyond physical infrastructure, the interministerial council also delved into the state’s land and real estate assets. According to the data, 97 properties, primarily located in the Dakar region, were inventoried with an estimated value of 132 billion FCfa. Ousmane Sonko asserted that several strategic state-owned lands were allegedly transferred under the previous administration without adherence to required procedures or, where necessary, without parliamentary authorization.

In this context, he referenced the former site of the gendarmerie headquarters, which he claimed was initially sold to a private operator before being reclaimed by the state. The Prime Minister stated that certain plots of land, valued between 10 and 15 billion FCfa, were reportedly sold for less than one billion FCfa. The government has indicated that several assets previously considered to have exited national patrimony have since been recovered.

The judicial aspect of the matter emerged as another central point of discussion. Addressing the Minister of Justice, Yassine Fall, Ousmane Sonko publicly expressed his bewilderment regarding the perceived lack of prosecutions in cases linked to these financial losses. He articulated doubts about the efficacy of the accountability process, stating that he sometimes questions “if it is even worth continuing.”

The Prime Minister then declared that “the system remains intact,” suggesting that certain officials implicated in the management of public funds continue to evade judicial scrutiny. He argued that it is challenging to demand sacrifices from citizens when alleged perpetrators of embezzlement or mismanagement are not being prosecuted. With a critical tone, he alluded to what he termed “judicial sabotage,” implicitly accusing some magistrates of deliberately delaying the examination of sensitive cases. He reiterated his conviction that “the cases do not belong to magistrates” but rather “to the Senegalese people,” hinting that he might “raise his voice” further in the coming days.

In response to these criticisms, Minister of Justice Yassine Fall assured that those found culpable would be held accountable for their actions. However, this response did not fully alleviate the Prime Minister’s concerns, who emphasized the urgent need to expedite procedures and clearly establish responsibilities.

Establishment of a monitoring committee

To ensure the effective implementation of decisions, Ousmane Sonko announced the immediate formation of a monitoring committee, directly under the authority of the Prime Minister’s office and chaired by himself. This body will be tasked with continuing the inventory of stalled projects, identifying those responsible, and facilitating the search for appropriate financing solutions. The government is also exploring options to re-evaluate certain public assets through public-private partnerships or to leverage these properties as financial instruments via Fonsis.

At the conclusion of the interministerial council, the Prime Minister issued eleven directives aimed at addressing the financial, legal, and technical obstacles identified. Among these measures are two deemed definitive. The first mandates the Minister, Secretary General of the Government, in collaboration with the Minister of Infrastructure, relevant sectoral ministries, and other stakeholders, to complete the inventory to create an exhaustive list of projects and infrastructure requiring commissioning, completion, or repurposing and valorization. The second directive calls for the establishment of an inclusive committee, presided over by the Prime Minister, to continue the inventory work and oversee the execution of agreed-upon diligences.

The remaining directives primarily focus on the planning and execution of infrastructure projects. Ousmane Sonko instructed all ministers to ensure better consideration of technical aspects, including connections to water, electricity, and telecommunication networks, as well as adequate equipment for infrastructure. He also stressed the imperative of defining sustainable operational, management, and maintenance models to guarantee the longevity of public investments.