Highlights:

• The project is expectec to cost around $80 million and cover over 100 hectares in Ngogom, Bambey.
• It is led by MidWestern Logistics (Senegalese subsidiary of a U.S. group) with Italian partners.
• The initiative is expected to create 1,500 direct jobs and support Senegal's “2050” transformation plan.

Senegal will soon host a major logistics project with the construction of a dry port in Ngogom, central Bambey, for about $80 million or CFA45 billion, according to a report by the Agence de presse sénégalaise (APS). The initiative is spearheaded by MidWestern Logistics Company SARL, the local arm of the U.S.-based MidWestern Logistics Company USA, and aims to position the country as a key West African logistics hub.

Named Pôle aéré de stockage spécialisé et des entreprises (PASSE), the facility will be a modern free zone with full customs authorization. Promoters say it will help decongest the Port of Dakar and re-establish Senegal’s logistics position in regional trade, particularly with landlocked Mali.   

“This is a free zone equipped with port logistics infrastructure, commonly known as a dry port, supported by an investor to the tune of more than 45 billion CFA francs, in partnership with Italian operators," said Ngogom Mayor Papa Momar Ngom during a meeting with local stakeholders.

The dry port is expected to generate 1,500 direct jobs and aligns with Senegal’s long-term “Senegal 2050” strategy. This plan was launched by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in October 2024 to drive the nation’s emergence. The inland terminal will facilitate multimodal freight movement—by rail, road, or river—and offer storage and handling services to reduce congestion at Dakar’s port and streamline regional logistics.

The Port of Dakar currently handles 95% of Senegal's foreign trade and around 70% of Mali's imports.

This article was initially published in French by Walid Kéfi

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho