Senegal to lift suspension of state advertising contracts with media

Senegalese Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo has given a favorable opinion regarding the lifting of the suspension of advertising contracts between the state and press companies. This decision follows a request from the Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy to address the structural financial difficulties facing many newsrooms.

To manage the resumption, an interministerial ad hoc committee will be established to define transparent allocation criteria. The committee, which will include representatives from the Presidency, the Ministries of Finance, Communication, and Digital Economy, as well as public broadcasters like RTS and Le Soleil, will evaluate media outlets based on their compliance with the Press Code, audience performance, and territorial coverage.

Cheikh Niasse, CEO of the Walfadjri media group, expressed significant relief at the news, noting that the two-year suspension had caused severe economic hardship. Niasse revealed that his group had to borrow hundreds of millions of CFA francs to maintain operations and protect jobs during the period of revenue loss.