Africa-France Forum in Nairobi: Diomaye Faye uses sport as a lever for transformation 5 months before the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye participated on Monday in the closing of the high-level panel "Sport and Development", organized at the University of Nairobi as part of the Africa-France Business Forum.

Alongside Presidents William Samoei Ruto of Kenya, Emmanuel Macron of France, and Duma Boko of Botswana, the Head of State opened his address with a phrase that drew a standing ovation: "Senegal is the champion of Africa." Behind this statement lay a deeper message. The country intends to transform its recent sporting successes into an engine of economic and social development. The meeting was held in the presence of the President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, and prominent figures from the world of sport.

Addressing his counterparts, the President placed sport at the heart of the national transformation agenda. He presented it as a sector with strong economic potential, calling for substantial investments capable of generating sustainable growth, jobs, and social cohesion.

With five months to go until the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event to be held on African soil, the impact is already tangible.

According to the Senegalese president, the construction and renovation work on the infrastructure mobilized more than 132,000 people. Beyond the competition venues, a network of local, multi-purpose sports fields is being developed throughout the country. The goal is to provide young people in every municipality with spaces not only for sports, but also for community life, learning, and social cohesion.

The meeting has been scheduled for Dakar next October, under the slogan "Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates".