Senegal public sector reforms urged by Lansana Gagny Sakho

Lansana Gagny Sakho, president of the Cercle des Administrateurs Publics, is calling for urgent reforms within Senegal’s public and parapublic sectors to address economic stagnation and operational inefficiencies.

Regarding the energy sector, Sakho criticizes the current state of SENELEC, noting that electricity costs in Senegal are 28% to 40% higher than in Côte d’Ivoire and that power outages persist. He argues that the planned 2026 reorganization into subsidiaries is insufficient because it maintains a purely public model without the capital or performance pressure provided by private partnerships, citing the successful public-private partnership model of Sen’Eau as a precedent.

On a broader scale, Sakho urges the Senegalese government to accelerate the appointment of leaders in the parapublic sector, noting that approximately 160 positions remain vacant. He emphasizes the need for competent executives capable of implementing public policy and suggests that leaders should be systematically evaluated on their results. Sakho also expressed concerns regarding Senegal’s economic attractiveness and its relations with international financial institutions.