Dakar seeks to become a West African medical and logistics hub

Senegal is pursuing strategic developments to position Dakar as a regional hub for both healthcare and logistics.

In the medical sector, the Egyptian company Safe Call Bank has presented a project to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to establish Dakar as a West African medical center. The initiative includes a $10 million investment to create a specialized stem cell therapy center. This facility aims to provide advanced treatments for degenerative diseases to patients across the sub-region, reducing the need for medical evacuations to other continents and enhancing Senegal’s health sovereignty.

In the logistics sector, experts are highlighting the potential of the Port of Dakar to serve as a primary freight hub for Sahelian countries, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Mamadou Ndiaye, representing the Association of Senegalese in Russia, suggests that strengthening cooperation with Russia could accelerate the modernization of port infrastructure. He emphasizes that digitizing customs and port procedures could significantly reduce logistics costs and combat smuggling by addressing current bottlenecks in West African trade.