Senegal says it is committed to boosting its economic growth and development by transforming its agricultural sector from subsistence to modernised agriculture.

Senegal’s delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament disclosed this while presenting their country report at the ongoing 2026 First Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, read by Ismaila Wone.

“In 2026, agriculture remains a central pillar of the Senegalese economy, accounting for about 10 to 13 per cent of GDP and being the main source of income for a large part of the rural population.

“It is dominated by cereal crops (rice, millet, maize, and sorghum) and the groundnut sector, which plays a strategic role in exports and agricultural revenues,” Mr Wone said.

According to him, climate-related pressures continue to affect key sectors, including agriculture and food security, prompting the government’s ongoing targeted investments in agricultural resilience and infrastructure development.

“Climate change is now one of the major development challenges facing Senegal in 2026. Its effects are particularly severe on developing countries due to their high environmental, economic, and social vulnerability.

“Notwithstanding the efforts to strengthen food sovereignty, the sector remains highly vulnerable to climate change, international market fluctuations, and structural constraints on inputs, infrastructure, and productivity,” Mr Wone said.

He noted that Senegalese agriculture remains highly dependent on rainfall, with more than 90 per cent of the cultivated area under rainfall.

This dependence, he said, increased its vulnerability to droughts, floods, land salinisation and heat waves, stressing that Senegal’s 2025 National Adaptation Plan was the strategic reference framework for 2050.

The regional parliamentarian said that, in response to these challenges, Senegal was gradually strengthening its infrastructure, risk management and climate adaptation mechanisms to boost overall national economic growth and development.

“In 2026, Senegal is undergoing an accelerated modernisation phase of its infrastructure, supported by a portfolio of more than 214 projects under implementation, representing an overall investment estimated at FCFA 12 000 billion.

“This dynamic is part of a national strategy to strengthen multimodal connectivity, support economic growth, and accelerate the country’s structural transformation.

“Public policy focuses on the development of transport, energy, digital, and structural infrastructure, in a context of economic growth estimated at around 5.3 per cent,” he said.

According to the lawmaker, the reporting period reflects a reform-oriented transition under the “Jubbanti Koom” Economic and Social Recovery Plan.

He said the recovery plan emphasises restoration of macroeconomic stability following the identification of hidden debt, strengthening fiscal governance, and advancing structural reforms aimed at sovereignty, transparency, and inclusive growth.

“In 2026, Senegal entered a phase of economic recovery marked by a political will to restore macroeconomic balances, strengthen national sovereignty, and correct inherited structural imbalances.

“The dynamic is based on the implementation of the ‘Jubbanti Koom’ Economic and Social Recovery Plan, which is beginning to produce measurable and meaningful results,” he said.

Mr Wone said Senegal also made progress in institutional restructuring, including constitutional reform processes, the establishment of an independent electoral management framework, justice sector modernisation, oversight, and accountability mechanisms.

He also reaffirmed Senegal’s alignment with ECOWAS commitments, including the payment of its community levy obligations, implementation of free movement protocols, and border modernisation.

The delegation’s report adds that Senegal’s other regional commitments include promoting gender equality, continuing participation in regional initiatives, and preparing for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, among others.

(NAN)