Senegal 2025: Africa’s Next Digital Hub Investment Forum
▼ Summary
– Fii Senegal 2025, under President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s patronage, aims to position Senegal as West Africa’s strategic investment gateway with the theme “Connecting Opportunities, Building the Future”.
– Senegal is emerging as a digital hub, supported by its “New Deal Technologique” strategy and a US$10 million Gates Foundation partnership for digital transformation.
– The forum will feature a high-level panel on ICT and AI with government and industry leaders discussing digital transformation, AI adoption, and resilient ecosystems.
– Recent reforms, including an improved Investment Code and digitized processes, are streamlining business operations and attracting foreign investment in infrastructure and digital services.
– Senegal is showcasing itself as a sovereign digital hub where reforms and innovation converge, aiming to prove it is the ideal place to shape Africa’s digital future.
Poised to become West Africa’s premier digital investment destination, Senegal is rapidly transforming into a strategic hub for technology and innovation. The nation’s ambitious “New Deal Technologique” digital strategy, coupled with a significant US$10 million partnership recently established with the Gates Foundation, underscores a profound national commitment to technological advancement and digital sovereignty. These developments signal that the country is firmly placing technology at the core of its economic growth and future development plans.
The upcoming Forum Invest in Senegal 2025 (Fii Senegal 2025) will serve as a pivotal platform to showcase this vision. Scheduled for October 7-8 at the CICAD Conference Centre in Diamniadio, the event will convene global leaders, investors, and innovators to explore tangible opportunities. A key highlight will be a high-level panel discussion focusing on “ICT and Artificial Intelligence,” which aims to explore the profound potential of these technologies to reshape Africa’s future. Moderated by tech ecosystem specialist Eva Sow Ebion, the panel will feature insights from Senegal’s Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and the Digital Economy, Alioune Sall, alongside other prominent figures from the finance and technology sectors, including keynote speaker Aicha Sarr Evans, CEO of ZOOX. The discussion will center on digital transformation, the practical adoption of AI, and building resilient ecosystems to foster greater competitiveness.
These strategic conversations are happening against a backdrop of tangible regulatory progress. Recent reforms to Senegal’s Investment Code are making it significantly easier for foreign capital to enter the market, with digitized approval processes that guarantee decisions within a ten-day window. Enhanced Tax and Customs Codes are systematically reducing administrative hurdles. The efficiency is further demonstrated by the APIX Business Creation Office, which facilitates company incorporation in under 48 hours. Digitization initiatives like the ORBUS and Port Community System have streamlined trade and customs operations, while the supportive framework of the Startup Act provides a solid foundation for emerging tech enterprises. This cohesive package of reforms is successfully attracting foreign direct investment into critical areas such as digital infrastructure, data centers, and smart city projects.
Bakary Séga Bathily, Director General of APIX, emphasized the nation’s trajectory, stating that Senegal is presenting itself as a sovereign and forward-looking digital hub where comprehensive reforms, cutting-edge innovation, and tangible opportunity meet. He affirmed that Fii Senegal 2025 will demonstrate to the global investment community that now is the moment to engage with Senegal and play a role in shaping the continent’s digital destiny. Held under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the forum is strategically designed to position the nation as West Africa’s essential investment gateway, fully embodying its central theme of “Connecting Opportunities, Building the Future.”
(Source: MEA Tech Watch)
