Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko chaired an inter-ministerial council yesterday, dedicated to the nation’s infrastructure and state assets. During this crucial meeting, he unveiled the stark conclusions of an audit scrutinizing various public projects and strategic holdings. Addressing members of his government, the head of the executive presented what he described as a troubling assessment of infrastructure and public land management. His report highlighted a landscape of unfinished projects, underutilized equipment, and state properties allegedly transferred under conditions he deemed questionable. Furthermore, he openly expressed his profound dissatisfaction with the judicial system’s handling of certain cases related to the administration of public resources.

During the session, Prime Minister Sonko disclosed that the inventory compiled by the Prime Minister’s office identified 245 infrastructure projects and strategic assets across the country that are currently either stalled, incomplete, or under-exploited. The data presented indicated that the total cost associated with these projects surpasses 5,000 billion FCfa. Sonko emphasized that this staggering sum is nearly equivalent to Senegal’s entire annual budget. He detailed the diverse range of affected infrastructures, including roads, hospitals, ports, stadiums, high schools, administrative buildings, and vital refrigeration facilities. This revelation is central to current pan-African current affairs and raises critical questions for Africa politics English discussions.

Challenges revealed by the infrastructure audit

Commenting on the sheer magnitude of the funds committed, the head of government stated that the facts presented in the audit report were