Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games: ONAS announces the completion of the sanitation works undertaken

On the eve of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the National Sanitation Office of Senegal (ONAS) is accelerating its work at several locations in the city of Dakar. According to its Director General, Sény Diène, the work is estimated to be between 95 and 98% complete, with the expectation of finishing all projects by tomorrow, Saturday, October 31, 2026, the day of the YOG opening ceremony. "With regard to the funding from the Organizing Committee for the YOG, all the work undertaken has been completed on schedule," he stated.

Thanks to a grant of 250 million FCFA from the Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee, the company has undertaken work, particularly around the Olympic swimming pool and the Iba Mar Diop stadium. During a site visit on Friday, October 29, 2026, the Director General of ONAS, Sény Diène, explained that these operations were necessary to anticipate the difficulties related to the expected influx of visitors during the Games and to prevent the risk of network overload at the end of the rainy season. "This event coincides with the end of the rainy season, which led us to implement a post-winter maintenance program to effectively address this potential overload," he explained.

Four micro-projects to strengthen the network

Among the completed projects was the work at the low-lying area near the Arab Training School in Point E. This site, which collects rainwater, benefited from the installation of a 60-meter collector, allowing its connection to Canal 4. Also in Point E, in front of the Budget Control Directorate, ONAS installed a new 340-meter wastewater collector. Rather than replacing the existing structure, the company opted for a parallel pipe with a larger diameter. "We couldn't replace the existing collector, but we installed a parallel one with a much larger diameter, approximately 500 millimeters," explained the Director General.

The work also extended to the Olympic Village at Place du Souvenir. Due to the lack of suitable sanitation facilities on site, ONAS (National Sanitation Office) constructed connection boxes for its network. On Rue 22 in the Medina, a 160-meter collector was installed to connect to the Gueule Tapée canal.

In Gibraltar, the final works are nearing completion

In Gibraltar, where the renewal of a sewer line is ongoing, the final adjustments were nearing completion at the time of the visit. "The company assured us that by tomorrow – Saturday, October 31 – we will be able to proceed with the acceptance of these works," said Sény Diène.

Furthermore, the sanitation system is focusing on preventative maintenance. Indeed, ONAS (National Sanitation Office) conducted a preventative dredging program to limit the risks of blockages and overflows during the Games. "ONAS also had a duty to carry out post-dredging. We have done so, and this dredging is practically complete," stated Sény Diène, while also calling on the public to contribute to the preservation of the infrastructure. He considers this awareness essential to ensuring the sustainability of the investments made.