DAKAR 2026: BEYOND PRIDE, THE CHALLENGE OF A LEGACY FOR SENEGAL AND AFRICA (By Alassane Mbaye)

There are events that transcend their organization. These are occasions that define a generation and usher a country into a new chapter in its history. The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games certainly fall into this category.

Dakar welcomes the world. Senegal welcomes history. And Africa takes its rightful place in the international Olympic movement.

The opening ceremony on October 31, 2026, at the Abdoulaye-Wade stadium in Diamniadio, set the tone. Meticulous organization, remarkable staging, and a mobilization commensurate with the event.

My sincere congratulations to the State of Senegal, to the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, to the Organising Committee of the Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ), as well as to all the technical, institutional, artistic and operational teams that contributed to this achievement.

But beyond the success of this ceremony, it is important to assess what Dakar 2026 really represents.

A CEREMONY CELEBRATING AFRICAN HISTORY AND DIGNITY

Senegal did not simply stage a spectacle for the world. It chose to tell its story with its own references, symbols, and memory.

Through artistic displays, popular traditions, references to historical kingdoms and the story of The Flight of Sitoé, the ceremony offered an interpretation of Africa that connects its past, present and future.

Evocations of ancient Egypt also resonate with the work of Professor Cheikh Anta Diop, whose work has helped to restore Africa to its rightful place in the history of civilizations and in the construction of universal knowledge.

This dimension deserves special attention. It reminds us that a people does not build its future by turning its back on its history, but by drawing on its memory for the resources of its own ambition.

Culture then becomes much more than an element of spectacle: it is an instrument of transmission, sovereignty and influence.

The Dakar 2026 ceremony thus carried a message that goes beyond sport: Africa has a story to tell, an identity to assert and a future to build.

A NATIONAL SUCCESS, THE FRUIT OF AN AMBITION THAT EXCEEDED TERMS OF OFFICE

Organizing the first Youth Olympic Games on the African continent is a historic responsibility.

This ambition took on a concrete dimension on October 8, 2018, when the International Olympic Committee chose Senegal to host the event. It has endured through the years, organizational constraints, the postponement of the Games, and institutional changes.

In this regard, it is appropriate to commend the continuity of the State's commitment, from the impetus given under the presidency of Macky Sall to the conduct of the event under that of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, as well as the work of the COJOJ, the sports movement and all stakeholders.

This historic first demonstrates our collective ability to conceive, prepare and conduct a large-scale international project.

It represents a legacy of pride for the Senegalese authorities, for the organizers and for an entire people.

Beyond mandates and generations, this page will belong to the history of Senegal.

A SPORTING PRIDE, BUT ALSO A POLITICAL AND DIPLOMATIC PRIDE

Dakar 2026 is not just a series of competitions and sporting performances. These Games also represent an instrument of international influence and sports diplomacy.

Sport brings people together, fosters closer ties and creates spaces for cooperation that traditional diplomatic relations are not always sufficient to build.

By hosting delegations from around the world, Senegal affirms its capacity to be a land of encounters, dialogue, and cooperation. It also offers Africa an exceptional platform to showcase its talents, cultures, and ambitions.

This pride is therefore sporting, but also institutional, political and continental.

It reflects an important development: that of an Africa which is no longer content to participate in major international events, but which demonstrates its willingness and ability to host and organize them.

SECURITY, AN ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOR THE SUCCESS AND LEGACY OF GAMES

No major international event can be fully successful without an appropriate security plan.

The protection of athletes, delegations, officials, journalists and the public is a fundamental requirement. It relies on anticipating risks, coordinating stakeholders, mastering operational procedures and the ability to respond effectively to unforeseen situations.

But security is not limited to risk prevention and the protection of people.

It also constitutes a genuine driver of economic, social and human development.

It creates an environment of trust conducive to investment, tourism, trade, and the organization of major international events. It contributes to population mobility, social cohesion, and the continuity of economic activity.

In the context of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the coordination of defense and security forces, public services, organizers and various operational actors therefore represents a strategic challenge.

As a security professional, I believe that one of the major lessons of these Games lies precisely in this need to think of security as an essential component of collective performance.

Beyond the event itself, the skills acquired, the coordination mechanisms developed, and the organizational standards consolidated can constitute a valuable legacy for Senegal.

Security is therefore not simply a condition for the success of the Games. It is also one of the conditions for their legacy and their contribution to the sustainable development of the country.

GAMES FOR THE LEGACY OF AN AFRICA ON THE MOVE

The true success of Dakar 2026 will also be measured by what remains after the closing ceremony.

These Games must be an accelerator for Senegalese and African sport, a lever for enhancing our infrastructure, a space for promoting our territories and an opportunity to strengthen our tourism and cultural industry.

Above all, they must leave a legacy for our youth: useful infrastructure, enhanced skills, new sporting vocations, economic opportunities, and renewed confidence in the continent's capabilities.

This ambition also calls for reflection on the maintenance of infrastructure, the sustainability of the skills mobilized and the ability to transform the investments made into lasting benefits for the populations.

Organizing an event of this scale is an achievement. Ensuring that its benefits have a lasting impact on the nation represents an even greater responsibility.

The challenge is also to make this first event a reference for future generations and for other African countries that aspire to host major international events.

Africa must no longer be merely a spectator of major global transformations. It must also be an actor, an organizer, and a major contributor.

A SUCCESS THAT SHOULD UNITE US

This sequence reminds us of an essential truth: great ambitions are never achieved through division.

They demand unity, solidarity, rigor, professionalism, anticipation and patriotism.

Patriotism, in this context, consists of recognizing what has been achieved, preserving the collective interest, and ensuring that the gains benefit the nation in a lasting way.

The success of an event of this magnitude transcends political affiliations and partisan considerations.

My congratulations also go to the valiant people of Senegal. To their hospitality, their mobilization, their commitment, and the sacrifices made to welcome the world in the best possible conditions.

I would also like to commend the volunteers, artists, technicians, security professionals, public service agents and all those workers whose often discreet commitment makes the success of major international events possible.

Because behind large organizations, there are always women and men who make their success possible.

Dakar 2026 is a source of national pride and a continental responsibility. It is now up to us to transform this historic first into a lasting legacy.

The true greatness of Dakar 2026 will not only lie in what we have shown the world during these Games, but in what we have been able to build for our youth after their conclusion.

Senegal honors Africa. And Africa writes a new page in its history in Dakar.

Alassane Mbaye

CEO Vigilus International