Au Senegalenthusiasm for scientific and technical sectors seems to be eroding even though the country aims to become a competitive nation in the fields of science, technology and innovation. It is a warning cry that the Minister of Higher education, Research and Innovation has just launched, Abdourahmane Diouf.
During a recent workshop of He highlighted a worrying disaffection of students towards scientific journeys. “The diagnosis is clear: scientific succession is in danger,” he said, visibly worried. Of the 166,400 candidates registered for the baccalaureate of 2025, barely 16 % chose a scientific series. This figure, already modest, marks a light but continuous decrease compared to previous years (16.62 % in 2024 and 16.39 % in 2023).
If the trend seems discreet on paper, it becomes more worrying when adding the technical series, losing speed for four years. In 2025, they only concerned 2.07 % of candidates, a historically low level. This decline is against national ambitions. Senegal, like many developing countries, focuses on skills in Stim (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) To energize its economy and meet the challenges of digital, precision agriculture, health or even energy transition.
“How to build the future if our young people desert the very foundations of innovation? »»wonders a national education inspector met during the workshop. Several reasons are put forward to explain this disinterest: lack of equipment in establishments, absence of functional laboratories, orientation and valuation deficit of these sectors, or even perception of a difficult route with few immediate outlets.
Students, often ill -informed about the real opportunities offered by science, are more oriented towards literary or economic series, deemed more accessible. Faced with this situation, tracks are being studied. The ministry provides in particular a national program to promote science in high schools, scholarships of excellence for the best students in mathematics and physics, as well as the rehabilitation of several technical high schools in the regions. If nothing is done quickly, the country of Teranga risks seeing the imbalance between its ambitions and its available human resources increase. In a world where artificial intelligence, cybersecurity or energy engineering dictate economic dynamics, the country cannot afford to stay on the fringes.
