Public lighting for the Saly and Diamniadio sites: ANER ready for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

The National Agency for Renewable Energies (ANER) is at the heart of preparations for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). It has installed several hundred solar streetlights in Saly (Mbour) and Diamniadio to illuminate and secure the areas. Its Director General, Mr. Thierno Alia Mbengue, conducted a nighttime inspection of these solar-powered public lighting installations in Saly and Diamniadio on Tuesday, October 27, in the presence of the Organizing Committee for the YOG.

1,200 solar streetlights installed at these two competition venues

In Saly, the Director General of ANER, accompanied by the Director General of SAPCO and the representative of CETUD, visited the solar streetlights installed along the road from the Saly intersection to the Ngaparou roundabout, passing through Saly center. A total of 168 streetlights have been installed along this 17 km stretch.

He also visited the Time-Timole and Karting parking lots, which have been carefully prepared for the vehicles transporting the athletes and the official delegation. Here too, ANER has installed nearly one hundred solar streetlights to provide ample lighting.

At this first stage, Mr. Thierno Alia Mbengue observed firsthand the normal operation of these public lighting devices with satisfaction.

In Diamniadio, the Director General of ANER was welcomed by the General Delegate of the General Delegation for the Promotion of Urban Centers in Diamniadio and Lac Rose (DGPU), Mr. Moussa Diop. There, Mr. Thierno Alia Mbengue visited the solar street lighting system deployed by his team in this new city, particularly at the sports facilities intended to host athletes and officials. These facilities include the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, its parking areas and surroundings, the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium annex and its official parking lot, the Dakar Arena (46 solar streetlights), and the CICAD street with 17 solar streetlights, and 20 solar streetlights at the official parking lot. ANER installed 19 solar streetlights along Rue 22 and 26 solar streetlights at the Olympic Village to provide unprecedented lighting for the guests of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. This assessment was made by the Director General.

The work was completed in just 25 days.

At the end of his visit, which concluded around 11 p.m., the Director General of ANER expressed his satisfaction. According to him, the long-term work carried out in Saly and Diamniadio had yielded these results. "Regarding the Youth Olympic Games, we installed a total of 1,200 solar streetlights, distributed between Saly and Diamniadio, representing an investment of 1.5 billion CFA francs. The work was carried out by the company Salvi over a period of 25 days," explained Mr. Thierno Alia Mbengue. He then congratulated all the teams involved in this project, particularly those from ANER.

He added: “I think Saly is lit up, Diamniadio is lit up, and security has been reinforced. Participants in these Youth Olympic Games will be able to stay in optimal security conditions, but also with the best possible amenities. Indeed, we are very satisfied and we have seen everything. I think that if we were able to install so many solar streetlights in 25 days, that is a source of satisfaction for us.”

According to the Director General of ANER, this work was carried out following instructions he received from the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, and the Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lô, as well as the Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Dr. Abdourahmane Diouf.

"They did an excellent job, it must be said and remembered."

The Director General of the DGPU, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with the work accomplished by ANER. “We are all in a race against time, and everyone is doing their best to ensure that Senegal welcomes young people from around the world in excellent conditions. And today, ANER has come to the Diamniadio Urban Hub to demonstrate once again that we need them. They have done an excellent job, it must be said and emphasized. Because without them, we wouldn't have everything we've seen today in terms of brightness and public lighting. And they are very responsive because, at any moment, the highest authorities call on us to point out shortcomings and, above all, things that need to be addressed,” stated Mr. Moussa Diop.

According to him, Mr. Mbengue is "very responsive." "That's what it means to be in service to the public because we have a public service mission. And that deserves praise," he maintained.