• Senegal and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a framework agreement to strengthen digital governance and integrate AI into public services.

• Authorities will launch a $1 million innovation hub (UNIPOD) on April 27 to support startups and research commercialization.

• The initiative aligns with Senegal’s goal to create 500 tech startups and 150,000 jobs by 2034.

The United Nations Development Programme and Senegal’s Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy signed a framework agreement on Tuesday, April 14 in Dakar. The agreement aims to strengthen digital governance and accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence into public services.

Alioune Sall, the minister, and Njoya Tikum, UNDP resident representative, signed the agreement. Authorities positioned the partnership within Senegal’s broader digital strategy, which prioritizes digital inclusion and the establishment of a regulatory framework that supports innovation. The government described the partnership as “structuring and results-oriented,” aligning it with its objectives for public service digitalization and economic competitiveness.

The partnership will deliver its first concrete outcome on April 27 with the inauguration of the University Innovation Pod (UNIPOD) at the Amadou Mahtar Mbow University. Authorities allocated $1 million to finance the hub, which will operate as a next-generation incubator designed to help young innovators transform research projects into high-impact entrepreneurial solutions.

Authorities plan to replicate this model nationwide over time to strengthen the network of innovation hubs.

This initiative forms part of Senegal’s “New Deal technologique,” the national digital transformation strategy. The government aims to create more than 500 certified technology startups by 2034 and generate around 150,000 direct jobs in the sector.

Data from StartupBlink show that Senegal currently hosts about 60 active startups, reflecting an ecosystem that remains in a growth phase and continues to scale.

This article was initially published in French by Samira Njoya

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum