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Planning of National Transport Infrastructure

In the Islamic Countries

97

3.4. Senegal

The purpose of the case study of Senegal is to present the NTI planning of one of the countries

that joined OIC since its year of foundation, 1969, and to introduce analogies and differences in

the context of the other case studies taken as sample.

All the information that can be found in this case study will be accurately reported in the

references and have as main common source published and online data, due to the lack of field

visit. The latter has, however, a valuable substitute in the questionnaires prepared by the

Fimotions consulting team and finalized on March 15th 2018.

To properly contextualize the framework in which Senegal is inserted, its estimated position in

the Ibrahim Index of African Governance is remarkable. In fact, this index elaborated in 2007

reflects the quality of governance in African countries, defined as the provision of the political,

social and economic public goods (Mo Ibrahim Foundation, 2017). NTI planning is considered

to be a key-factor in the assessment and might play an important role in the evaluation of

Senegal whose position has always been fluctuating among the first ten countries.

Besides this, Senegal is well-known to be one of the West Africa’s key economic and political

countries, thanks to its geographical position and the role played by its capital, Dakar. In fact,

the most important city in the country reaps more than one fifth of the whole population of

Senegal, that was around 15 million in 2016 (World Bank, 2016).

The political stability of the Republic of Senegal, that recently has also adopted a cut in the length

of presidential mandate from 7 to 5 years strengthening the fairness and accountability of its

system, in conjunction with economic factors, which will be object of further analysis in the next

paragraphs, create an ideal field which developing transport plans can be based on.

In the context of this general introductory overview, a key-year for Senegal’s economy is 2014

in which, after several years of low growth, the Government approved the Senegal Emergent

Plan (SEP) with the goal to change direction to the modest-growth environment of the country

and reduce poverty levels. In fact, it followed a positive period for Senegal whose economy grew

by 6.5% in the last two years and made it one of the best performing countries in Sub-Saharan

Africa (World Bank, 2017).

Regarding transport and infrastructures, World Bank (2013a) disclosed that Senegal was

relatively behind the development of road infrastructure compared to the rest of sub-Saharan

Africa, and it was not well connected to its neighbours or to its interior regions, adding that the

density of road infrastructure was relatively low. In 2013, Senegal was connected with its

neighbouring countries including Mali via the Dakar - Bamako corridor, the Gambia via the

Dakar - Banjul corridor, Mauritania and Guinee via the Dakar - Nouakchott and Dakar - Conakry

corridors. According to the Senegalese Ministry of Infrastructure, Land Transport and

Disenclavement, in 2013, 66%of the paved roads was in good and average condition. Since 2013