The African Development Bank (AfDB) is boosting Senegal and the development of its industry, its SMEs and now its agricultural and mining areas in recent weeks. Thus, on Friday, the AfDB approved a loan of € 117.62 million which comes on top of the € 44 million from the Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), a fund created jointly by the AfDB and the People's Bank of China, for the implementation of phase I of the program to open up agricultural and mining areas (PDZAM-1) in the north of the country.

The project will benefit the following regions and departments: Thiès, Tambacounda, Saint-Louis, Louga and Matam as well as Tivaouane, Dagana, Bakel, Kébémer, Kanel. Some sections are part of the trans-African road corridor between Nouakchott and Dakar and/or have national vocations of opening up. The works concern the construction of 483 kilometers of roads on several sections: Kidira-Bakel (65 km), Boucle du Riz (172.44 km), Louga-Keur Momar Sarr-Richard Toll (116.27 km), Orofondé-Matam in Dandé Mayo Nord (104.23 km) and 25 km from the RN2 between Thiès and Kébémer. In addition, the program will support the construction of a weighing station, the improvement of road safety and the employability of young people.