Senegal religious cities to receive waqf-based development funding

The Haute Autorité du Waqf (HAW) and the Programme National d’Aménagement et de Modernisation des Villes Religieuses (PNAMVR) signed a three-year strategic partnership agreement in Dakar on September 17, 2026. The convention aims to utilize waqf—Islamic pious donations—as an innovative and sustainable financing mechanism for the modernization and development of Senegal’s religious cities, including Touba and Tivaouane.

The partnership focuses on five key pillars: achieving financial autonomy through innovative waqf-based funding, establishing shared governance between public, religious, and financial actors, creating social impact through community investment hubs, preserving religious heritage, and integrating the waqf model into public urban development policy.

A Joint Technical Committee will be established to select projects and oversee technical and financial monitoring. The agreement was signed by PNAMVR National Coordinator Amdy Moustapha Mbacké and HAW Director General Dr. Ahmed Lamine Athie.