The management of the Autonomous Port of Dakar (PAD) officially launched this Tuesday the work of developing its strategic repositioning plan. This is an ambitious roadmap whose goal is to modernize the port's infrastructure, strengthen its regional competitiveness and include its activities in the objectives of the "Senegal 2050" framework. 

During a ceremony organized at the autonomous port of Dakar, the Director of the PAD, Waly Diouf Bodian launched the work of developing the strategic plan for the repositioning of the Port of Dakar. During this ceremony, which was attended by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the PAD, Mamadou Goudiaby, Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Fisheries and Port Infrastructure and the various stakeholders in the port sector, experts outlined the ambition of making this infrastructure a competitive regional hub.

Quest for performance on a regional scale 

The Director of the PAD, in his speech, stressed the urgency of adapting the port to changes in world trade, characterized by the "increased competition" ports of neighboring countries and the need for "systemic modernization". He recalled that " 95% of Senegalese foreign trade passes through the port ", but highlights a structural imbalance:« 80% of flows are dedicated to imports against less than 20% to exports »To overcome these obstacles, the plan focuses on infrastructure such as the future multifunctional port of Ndayane, efficient logistics corridors and adapted digitalization with a "electronic port single window" to make operations smooth.

Alignment with national and sub-regional policies 

The Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Fisheries, Dr Mamadou Goudiaby welcomed an initiative which he said is "in perfect coherence with the Senegal 2050 transformation agenda" while addressing persistent challenges: “ The Dakar-Bamako corridor is hampered by administrative burdens and competition from Ivorian or Mauritanian ports "He called for a pooling of resources to exploit the economic potential of the sector while stressing the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). He said: « A single market of 1,3 billion people represents an unprecedented opportunity for African maritime trade ».

Dr Mamadou Goudiaby: Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Fisheries, Maritime and Port Infrastructure

Innovation and sustainability 

Mouhammadou Ngouda Mboup, PCA of the PAD, insisted on the need to integrate emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and to respond to environmental issues. « The modern port must adopt environmentally friendly practices, particularly through optimized waste management », he said. It is in this sense that he also urged the stakeholders to a "effective participation", recalling that African ports represent only 3% of global maritime trade.

Mouhammadou Ngouda Mboup: Chairman of the Board of Directors of the PAD

The interventions focused mainly on the inclusive aspect of the project. It will be led by technical committees that will work closely together to produce a plan that meets the ambitions of the port authorities.

Waly Diouf Bodian summed up this ambition: “Positioning Senegal at the heart of global value chains through an integrating port system”. With projects such as the extension of Ndayane and the creation of dry ports, the PAD aspires to become a logistics hub for West Africa, while rebalancing the national trade balance. The success of this repositioning will depend, according to Ngouda Mboup, on a " vsUnparalleled coherence between national vision and port actions ».