RESILIENCE OF TOUBA MOSQUE: a plan of priority interventions following an integrated approach

The municipality of Touba Mosquée shares with the Municipal Development Agency (Adm) the stated ambition to bring about sustainable economic growth based on a plan of carefully identified priority interventions.

The systemic transformation of the territorial boundaries of the holy city of Touba is underway. Less than four months after signing their collaboration agreement on April 23, 2026, in Touba, the Municipal Development Agency (ADM) and the Touba Mosque Municipality have reached a new operational stage in their partnership. Under the auspices of the Minister of Urban Planning, Local Authorities, and Territorial Development, Moussa Bala FOFANA, a strategic and operational workshop was held in Dakar on August 10 and 11, 2026, to facilitate the implementation of commitments made for the resilient and inclusive urban development of the holy city.

This workshop was chaired by the Sub-Prefect of Ndame, along with the First Deputy Mayor and the Director General of ADM. It was further enhanced by the presence of some fifteen chairpersons of technical committees from the Touba Mosque municipal council. The participation of the Director of the ARD of Diourbel, the Director of the Dgua, the Senior Technical Advisor to the Minister in charge of Local Authorities, and about ten experts from ADM completed the list of participants.

This meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on the next steps to be taken. Significant challenges remain, particularly in a context of exponential urban growth. Climate risks continue to intensify, and the need for resilient infrastructure remains considerable.

Touba Mosque has chosen to place resilience at the heart of its public policy, prioritizing an approach based on risk anticipation, urban planning, investment in key socio-economic infrastructure, and institutional capacity building. The ultimate goal is the development of a five-year Strategic Development Plan for Touba, supported by an ambitious plan of priority investments.

An economic dimension highlighted

Touba Mosque is focusing on improving its own revenue generation to ensure its autonomy and sustainability. This was clearly evident during discussions, with a strong emphasis placed on the economic potential of the municipality. "Innovations are underway to fully exploit the municipality's economic potential," reports Deputy Mayor Sidy Ameth Mbacké. In this context, significant revenue mobilization efforts have begun to increase investment capacity, explains Moustapha Dieng, the municipality's Administrative and Financial Director. "The local authority possesses considerable but largely untapped potential," he adds.

Technical assistance from ADM expected

Through this partnership, ADM is making its expertise, proven intervention methods, and extensive experience in territorial engineering available to the municipality. The goal is to provide sustainable solutions to the territorial challenges facing the religious city. This positioning was confirmed by ADM's Director General, Dr. Mamouth Diop, who stated, "This alliance allows us to mobilize diverse expertise to address the city's priorities, while also facilitating the search for partners and the mobilization of essential financial resources for priority investments."

For the city of Touba, characterized by strong population growth and continuous economic expansion, this approach is of strategic importance. To avoid past mistakes in managing environmental and climate challenges, the ADM (Moscow Development Agency) intends to build upon the achievements of the PACASEN program. This approach was well received by the Sub-Prefect of Ndame, Djidiack Kital, who emphasized "the need for an inclusive approach that integrates all the most significant segments of the Mosquée Commune, in order to properly address the most pressing needs."

Discussions about the operationalization of interventions

The participants expressed a desire for a highly practical and operational approach. Touba Mosque has access to numerous documentary resources covering a wide range of intervention areas. They strongly encouraged key stakeholders to build upon existing resources and engage with all development entities to reach a unifying consensus.

The strategic workshop in Dakar also clarified the intervention methods and the most structuring areas of intervention around strategic, urban, and operational planning. The methodology presented by the ADM (National Agency for the Development of Municipalities) was very well received by the municipal team, which places great importance on strengthening the capacities of the local government staff. In addition, the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Planning, through its highly targeted intervention, Mr. Amadou Bassirou BA, Head of the Local Government Projects Unit at UNAPPP (National Union of Public Action Projects), demonstrated a willingness to partner with the ADM in a technical and financial coalition to provide comprehensive assistance to the City of Touba, in its quest for greater resilience.

The challenge of institutional coordination

The groundwork for improved coordination among stakeholders on the ground has thus been laid. To ensure seamless synergy, an expanded workshop will be held to share the methodology with local stakeholders in Touba. Before the intervention plan officially launches, both parties plan to meet with the General Caliph of the Mourides, Serigne Mountakha Mbacké, thereby fully integrating the spiritual authority into the modernization, resilience, and development of the City of Khadim Rassoul.

Ultimately, the two institutions are preparing a joint five-year intervention strategy. This five-year plan will focus on urban restructuring, territorial resilience, and local socioeconomic development. To achieve this objective, the ADM aims to combine investments in drainage infrastructure, improved urban governance, the development of urban planning tools, capacity building for local institutions, and the promotion of nature-based solutions.

At the end of the discussions, the City of Touba expressed great satisfaction with the progress of the work and especially with the philosophy of listening to each other and the search for alternative solutions.