The Prime Minister gave Dakar yesterday to kick off phase 2 of the support and enhancement project of the entrepreneurial initiatives of women and young people (Pavia), funded up to 107 billion FCFA. The first phase made it possible to train 24,628 women and young people.
Ousmane Sonko launched yesterday, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Dakar, the second phase of the project to support and enhance entrepreneurial initiatives for women and young people (Pavia II). Piloted by the general Delegation for the Fast Entrepreneurship of Women and Young people (DER/FJ), this project has funding of 107 billion FCFA. It offers young people and women opportunities for professional integration by issuing certifying training in various fields, such as hotels, agriculture, transport, crafts, digital innovation … This initiative, launched by the State of Senegal, in collaboration with the French Development Agency (AFD) and the African Development Bank (BAD), aims to encourage the entrepreneurship of women and young people in sectors and young providers of jobs and opportunities. The objective is to fight unemployment and protect these vulnerable social strata through professionalization. DER delegate, Aïda Mbodj, pulled a positive assessment of the first phase of Pavia (2019 and 2025) which made it possible to train 24,628 women and young people for an investment of 74.4 billion FCFA.
“Pavia I has given hope to many people across Senegal,” she said. The second phase is modeled on the new national repository, the “Senegal Vision 2050”. “The commitment of the President of the Republic in favor of the empowerment of women and young people, the development of territories and economic sovereignty constitutes the foundation of our action,” justified Ms. Mbodj. One of the flagship projects will be the realization of connected farms. The president of the African Development Bank Group (BAD), Akinwumi Adesina, and Papa Amadou Sarr, executive director in charge of mobilization, partnerships and communication at the French Development Agency, praised the high impact results of Pavie. The two institutions have undertaken to support the second phase of this program piloted by DER/FJ. The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction in view of the positive results of Pavia I.
“Today, we are celebrating much more than a program. It is a shared vision, a successful dream. That of a daring Senegal, carried by the energy of his wives and young people, the creativity of his entrepreneurs, the agility of his leaders as well as the robustness of his institutions, “he said. Ousmane Sonko addressed Senegalese youth, inviting him to arm himself with patience and to be rigorous, because the entrepreneurial initiative is long -term. “It takes time to build solid buildings,” he added. The Head of Government has pleaded for simplified and accessible financial procedures, so that the support tools implemented by the State can benefit as many people as possible. He also gave guidelines for phase II of Pavia. After congratulating the DER/FJ general delegate, he pleaded for future actions to be, like those of the first phase of Pavia, oriented towards national sovereignty and the promotion of local products.
Assane Fall
