Senegal has unveiled the AgriConnect Senegal Compact, a major national initiative developed in partnership with the World Bank Group to accelerate agricultural transformation and strengthen food security.

Announced in Washington, D.C. on February 11, the Compact aligns with Senegal’s National Agenda for Transformation 2050 and its Food Sovereignty Strategy (SSA 2025–2034). It is designed as a coordinated implementation platform bringing together the Government of Senegal, the World Bank Group and a broad coalition of development partners, private investors and producer organisations.

A Coordinated Financing Platform

The initiative mobilises the World Bank Group’s key institutions — the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) — alongside technical and financial partners to align public and private investment around shared objectives.

AgriConnect focuses on three priority value chains: grains, horticulture and livestock. It is structured around three core pillars:

1. Structural investments in agricultural infrastructure and services
2. Policy reforms to improve the sector’s business environment
3. Increased private sector investment to drive innovation and competitiveness

Ambitious 2029 Targets

By 2029, the Compact aims to raise national food security levels above 90% and generate 800,000 formal jobs in agriculture. Key performance targets include:

• Increasing cereal coverage from 48% to 78%
• Raising rice self-sufficiency to 64%
• Establishing 100 community-based agricultural cooperatives nationwide

The initiative represents a shift in the design and coordination of national agricultural policy, introducing stronger results-based management and cross-sector alignment.

Ahmadou Al Aminou Lo, Minister of State to the President responsible for monitoring the Senegal 2050 National Agenda, described AgriConnect as a strategic platform for structuring high-impact agricultural projects. He emphasised that the initiative is central to achieving a “sovereign, just and prosperous” Senegal, with strong government oversight to ensure measurable results.

Food Sovereignty at the Core

For Mabouba Diagne, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock, the Compact’s ultimate goal is tangible improvement in livelihoods.

He noted that AgriConnect seeks to increase farmer incomes, create employment opportunities for youth, and enable families to access stable and nutritious food supplies — positioning modern agriculture as a viable and profitable career path.

Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, highlighted the coordinated role of IDA, IFC and MIGA in catalysing both public and private investment. He underscored the belief that Senegalese agriculture can serve as a foundation for shared prosperity and long-term economic resilience.

Broad International Backing

The Compact was developed in consultation with a wide range of development institutions, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the French Development Agency (AFD), among others.

Governance of the Compact will be overseen by the Minister of State responsible for Senegal 2050, with operational delivery led by the Ministry of Agriculture through a dedicated Delivery Unit. A joint steering committee supported by technical partners will coordinate planning, monitoring and implementation.

As Senegal places food sovereignty at the heart of its transformation agenda, the AgriConnect Compact signals a bold attempt to align financing, policy reform and private sector mobilisation into a single, results-driven agricultural growth platform.