Senegal has launched the AgriConnect Senegal Compact, a comprehensive initiative designed to catalyse the modernisation of the country’s agricultural sector and expand employment opportunities across rural and peri-urban communities.
Announced in February 2026 with technical and financial support from the World Bank Group, including the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the Compact seeks to reframe agriculture as a principal driver of sustainable growth and shared prosperity. At its core, AgriConnect centres on three priority value chains, grains, horticulture and livestock, critical segments for improving domestic production and reducing reliance on food imports.
The platform’s implementation strategy rests on three main pillars: investing in agricultural infrastructure and key services such as irrigation, storage and processing facilities; revising policy and regulatory frameworks to create a more enabling environment for agribusiness and value-chain actors; and activating private-sector capital to spur innovation, competitiveness and inclusive development. By weaving together public institutions, technical partners, producer organisations and the private sector, AgriConnect is designed to foster a coordinated and results-oriented approach to agricultural policy and project delivery.
Officials have set ambitious targets for the Compact’s first phase. By 2029, the initiative aims to achieve more than 90 per cent national food security, raise cereal coverage from around 48 per cent to 78 per cent, improve rice self-sufficiency to nearly two-thirds of national demand, and establish 100 community-based agricultural cooperatives across Senegal. Perhaps most strikingly, the programme is expected to generate approximately 800,000 formal jobs in the agricultural sector, offering new opportunities for rural youth and women and mitigating unemployment pressures while reinforcing the rural economy.
The World Bank Group has pledged its ongoing support, with Vice-President for Western and Central Africa Ousmane Diagana noting that AgriConnect’s success hinges on mobilising both public and private investments towards food sovereignty and rural transformation. This coordinated financing approach, combining concessional funds, private capital and technical assistance, reflects a broader global agenda to strengthen resilient food systems and promote inclusive economic growth across emerging markets.
AgriConnect’s launch underscores Senegal’s commitment to structural agricultural reform and aligns with continental priorities that seek to transform agricultural value chains, enhance food security, and promote dignified employment. By harnessing innovation, infrastructure and policy reform, the initiative hopes to position agriculture as a catalyst for long-term development and shared prosperity by the end of the decade.
