Dakar 2026 organizers meet World Bank to discuss youth employment

A delegation from the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee (COJOJ), led by President Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, visited the World Bank headquarters in Washington to discuss using sports as a driver for economic growth and youth employability in Africa.

During the visit, the committee presented its legacy strategy, specifically the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy, which has already trained 312 young professionals from Senegal and 22 other African nations. Discussions with World Bank officials included potential synergies with the $642 million SIRA regional program, which focuses on professional integration for youth. The goal is to integrate sports, youth, and employment into the upcoming country partnership framework between Senegal and the World Bank.

Additionally, the delegation met with Makhtar Diop, Director General of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to explore the development of the sports industry across the African continent.