Electricity: Senegal seeks 396 billion FCFA to achieve universal access

Senegal will need to mobilize 396 billion FCFA to achieve universal access to electricity by 2029. The objective is to electrify the 6,471 localities still not served and strengthen the country's energy transition, authorities indicated at the opening of a regional workshop dedicated to rural electrification and climate action.

Senegal faces a significant challenge. Indeed, to achieve its ambition of universal access to electricity by 2029, it will need to mobilize 396 billion CFA francs. This was announced by the Secretary General of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER), Fidèle Djissibone Diémé, at the opening of a regional workshop dedicated to rural electrification and the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Held from June 29 to July 1, 2026, with the support of the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the meeting brought together delegations from Senegal, Togo, Cameroon and Burkina Faso, as well as several technical and financial partners including the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

More than 6,400 localities still without electricity

Despite progress made in recent years, Senegal still has 6,471 unelectrified localities. The rural electrification rate is currently 69.84%, while the national electricity access rate is around 80%.

To make up for this shortfall, the investments sought will enable the deployment of energy solutions adapted to rural areas, prioritizing low-carbon infrastructure that is resilient to the effects of climate change.

"Through discussions with various participants and financial institutions, we believe we can mobilize the necessary funding to achieve universal access to electricity by 2029," said Fidèle Djissibone Diémé.

Beyond improving access to electricity, authorities consider rural electrification a strategic tool for accelerating economic development and strengthening adaptation to climate change. Access to reliable energy, in particular, promotes the growth of agricultural activities, the improvement of basic social services, job creation, and the dissemination of clean technologies.

Presiding over the opening ceremony, Bouré Diouf, Chief of Staff to the Minister of the Environment and Ecological Transition, stressed the urgency of action: "The time for climate action is no longer tomorrow; it is today."

According to him, accessible, reliable and affordable energy is an essential prerequisite for industrialization, economic competitiveness and sustainable growth.

An objective included in the Senegal 2050 Agenda

Universal access to electricity is among the priorities of the Senegal 2050 Agenda and the national economic transformation strategy. The authorities are counting on this objective to reduce territorial inequalities, improve the living conditions of rural populations, and support more inclusive and environmentally responsible development.