Visiting Dakar in the framework of the annual review of the Senegal-Canada bilateral cooperation program, Canadian minister for global development and francophonie, Marie-Claude Bibeau, announced that her country would lend the African nation C$72 million (around €49.45 million). The funds will be used to support the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE) and a technical assistance program.

The loan will be invested in three top-priority areas namely youth and children, food security and the promotion of sustainable and economic growth. While C$50 million will be dedicated to the implementation of the PSE over five years, C$20 million will support the technical assistance program which aims to reinforce Senegalese institutions and democratic governance.

The investment will allow the Senegalese Court des Comptes to boost skills and get competent personnel in order “to reinforce its capacity to conduct external audits”, the Canadian official said. “Canada is quite active in Senegal. It is a partner that we appreciate and where we plan to support education projects, related to young girls especially,” Bibeau said.

Invited by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Senegal’s President, Macky Sall, will be in Montreal next September 15.

Alain Okpeitcha