Bassirou Diomaye Faye: "The blue economy is now emerging as a strategic response to the challenges of our time."

The first International Forum on the Sustainable Development of Maritime Transport and Logistics in the Blue Economy opened on Monday, July 13, 2026, in Dakar, under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Organized by the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, this two-day meeting (July 13 and 14) aims to create a leading national and international strategic dialogue framework to realize the ambition of making Senegal the leading African platform for maritime and river-maritime transport, by accelerating the sustainable development of logistics in a competitive blue economy, aligned with the National Transformation Agenda 2050. For this inaugural edition, the Republic of Congo was honored to share its best practices.

"A lever for growth, an instrument of sovereignty, a strategic partner and a concrete response to the challenge of the 21st century"

In his address, the Head of State emphasized the importance of the blue economy. "The blue economy is now emerging as a strategic response to the challenges of our time. It represents a lever for growth, an instrument of sovereignty, a strategic partner, and a concrete response to the challenges of the 21st century," stated Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, and the Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Ms. Amy Mara Dièye.

He adds: "Our country has assets that make the blue economy a powerful lever for structural transformation, jobs, innovation, competitiveness and shared prosperity. Our maritime sovereignty is not negotiable. It is built through investment, innovation and vision."

According to President Faye, Dakar's port activities alone generated nearly 700 billion CFA francs between 2022 and 2024, and supported 170,000 jobs.

Towards an African maritime platform

This international forum positions itself as the operational instrument for the structural transformation of our economy, aiming to convert our more than 700 kilometers of coastline and our inland waterways into a foundation of power. The challenge goes beyond mere sectoral management: it is about building genuine maritime and river-maritime sovereignty, transforming our geostrategic position into a lever for endogenous and sustainable development. This ambition is the beating heart of the Senegal 2050 Vision and finds its immediate expression in the National Development Strategy (NDS 2025-2029). This meeting therefore constitutes a strategic bridge between the objectives of the NDS and the operational realities of maritime operators.

Maritime sovereignty imperatively requires that the State and national actors control offshore support services, ensuring that logistics related to oil and gas resources primarily benefit the local ecosystem.

In this respect, the forum specifically aims to rigorously assess the structural challenges of transport and identify investment opportunities in the blue economy value chain; institutionalize the decarbonization of the sector and the ecological transition to align our ports with global environmental standards; massify maritime employment through a strict match between training, research and the needs of new maritime professions (offshore, ship repair); secure our river-maritime spaces by strengthening integrated governance and preventing marine pollution; and finally, enhance regional integration by optimizing Senegal's role in the AfCFTA value chains and logistics corridors.

The blue economy as a new driver of growth

This international forum cannot be seen as a mere formality. It marks the founding act of a new era in which the sea and waterways once again become the driving force of Senegal's power. By combining digital innovation, logistical sovereignty, and excellence in human capital, Senegal is equipping itself with the means to achieve its ambition: to become a leading African maritime hub by 2050.

Therefore, at the end of the work, a post-forum roadmap will be adopted, accompanied by a monitoring and evaluation mechanism led by the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy to ensure the effective implementation of the recommendations.