Last week, a multisector mission themed “Investing in Senegal: Stability and Oil & Gas Prospects for Sustained Growth” was organized in Dakar by the Club Afrique Développement, Attijariwafa bank Group, CBAO Senegal, and Crédit du Sénégal.
Over 200 business leaders and institutional representatives, including delegations from Morocco, Egypt, Mali, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, and Congo, participated in this two-day mission. This event marks the 39th initiative by the Club Afrique Développement.
The event facilitated more than 200 B2B meetings, generating business opportunities across various sectors including oil and gas, agriculture, agro-industry, construction, IT, services, and energy.
“This event follows the International Africa Development Forum (FIAD 2024), held on June 27-28 in Casablanca, reinforcing the Club Afrique Développement’s commitment to promoting bilateral exchanges and regional integration. Crédit du Sénégal, supported by the Attijariwafa bank group, actively supports local businesses, particularly in the Oil & Gas sector, by offering financing and support solutions,” said Modou Seye, General Manager of Crédit du Sénégal.
Sokhna Maimouna Diop, Deputy General Manager of Operations at CBAO, a subsidiary of Attijariwafa bank, emphasized, “Senegal is one of the most dynamic economies in the region thanks to its political and economic stability. Today, more than ever, we are determined to support our partners and actively contribute to the country’s economic ambitions.”
Mouna Kadiri, Director of Club Afrique Développement, highlighted the club’s role as a key platform for African businesses, fostering multicultural corridors that create value and opportunities for companies and youth.
“Our country is progressing towards emergence, thanks to policies of economic diversification, good governance, and human capital development. Discoveries of gas and oil since 2014 bolster these ambitions, diversifying our economy and creating jobs. We aim for universal access to electricity with competitive and affordable energy,” stated Cheikh Niane, Secretary General of the Senegalese Ministry of Energy, Petroleum, and Mines.
“The MSGBC sedimentary basin remains promising for hydrocarbons. The favorable legal framework encourages private investment. You have every reason to invest in Senegal, the land of Teranga,” he added.
The event also featured a panel discussion on “Catalyzing Trade between Senegal and African Countries in the Context of AfCFTA,” with contributions from Chérif Younous Diallo, Head of the International Agreements Office at Senegal’s Directorate of Foreign Trade, and Sanaa Drissi Alami, Group Head of Trade Finance, FI and Correspondent Banking at Attijariwafa bank.
“The Attijariwafa bank group is committed to supporting initiatives that promote and strengthen trade and investment in Africa. We recently signed an MOU with the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area, on the sidelines of the latest International Africa Development Forum held in Casablanca,” Alami noted.
Also present were Pape Massal Dieye, Executive Director of FONSIS (Sovereign Strategic Investment Fund) in charge of investments, Baba Tall, Secretary General of Senegal Supply Base, and Gora Lo, General Coordinator of the National Council for Local Content Monitoring.
The multisector mission will conclude on Saturday with a visit to the Cargo Village of the Diass Integrated Special Economic Zone, located 45 km from Dakar.
Through this major event, CBAO Senegal, Crédit du Sénégal, and Club Afrique Développement reaffirm the Attijariwafa bank Group’s commitment to advancing Africa.
Founded by the Attijariwafa bank Group in 2016, the Club Afrique Développement aims to unite business communities, leaders, and public representatives to pragmatically drive investments across the continent.
The club serves as a premier networking and exchange space for economic operators looking to expand in African business and investment domains. It also provides a platform for accessing information, services, and expertise to support the realization of entrepreneurial and state-structuring projects, as well as South-South and North-South-South cooperation.
Today, Club Afrique Développement boasts over 6,000 active members. Together with Attijariwafa bank’s subsidiaries, it has organized 38 multisector missions and seven editions of the “International Africa Development Forum,” mobilizing more than 22,000 business leaders from 40 countries across the continent and partner countries.
