Senegal’s national power utility, SENELEC, has announced plans to connect 6,471 villages to electricity by 2029 under a 400 billion CFA franc ($724 million) programme.
Djiby Dieng, SENELEC’s director of infrastructure and equipment, revealed the initiative after several villages in the Fatick and Kaolack regions were recently linked to the national grid. He said the World Bank has pledged support for the project, with funding expected to be finalised soon.
“We hope financing will be finalised quickly so work can begin and we can achieve universal access to electricity,” Dieng said.
Senegal has intensified efforts in recent years to achieve universal electricity access by 2029. On February 4, four high-voltage substations were commissioned in Dakar, strengthening the capital’s power network.
According to the International Energy Agency’s Electricity 2026 report, Senegal is on track to meet its “Energy Compact” goals, which require annual access gains of 2.9%. If this pace is maintained, the country could reach full coverage a year ahead of the 2030 deadline set under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7.
The IEA also projects a significant shift in Senegal’s energy mix. Natural gas is expected to rise from less than 1% of electricity generation in 2025 to about 30% by 2030, reducing reliance on fuel oil-fired plants. Renewables are forecast to account for 22% of generation by 2030, up 10 percentage points from 2025.
As of 2024, approximately 84% of Senegal’s population had access to electricity, with urban coverage being universal and rural access at 66%.
