The opening by the Moroccan company Atlas Marine of a new maritime line linking the port of Agadir to that of Dakar constitutes a major opportunity for Senegal. This strategic maritime corridor promises to transform commercial dynamics between Morocco and Senegal, while positioning Dakar as a gateway for trade to West Africa. However, to take full advantage of this initiative, Senegal must adopt a comprehensive and ambitious approach to diversify its exports and strengthen its economic capacities.
This new maritime connection allows Senegal to rethink its role in the regional and international value chain. It offers a unique opportunity to stimulate the agricultural, industrial and artisanal sectors. Senegal, rich in its natural resources and know-how, can use this link to promote its processed agricultural products, such as oils, flours and preserves, while exploring new markets for its products that need to be processed. locally such as peanuts, cotton or even fisheries resources. The export of agricultural products with high added value, adapted to international standards, can position Senegal as a key player in inter-African trade.
In this context, the modernization of the country’s logistics infrastructure becomes imperative. The port of Dakar must adapt to the expected increase in traffic by improving its handling equipment, optimizing the customs clearance process and developing specialized storage infrastructure for perishable and industrial products. The creation of logistics zones near the port, integrated with road and rail corridors, could also maximize the efficiency of this maritime link and facilitate the transport of goods across the country and beyond. Hence the relevance of the storage and conservation logistics platform project within the services of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
The project must also include a strategy to mobilize existing special economic zones and develop new ones. These areas can attract investments in the transformation of local products into exportable goods, such as textiles, pharmaceuticals or even construction materials. By creating incentives for foreign and local businesses, Senegal can not only diversify its economy, but also increase the added value of its exports.
The Senegalese diaspora, for its part, represents an under-exploited lever. With this new maritime line, the government can design specific initiatives to encourage the diaspora to invest in promising sectors or to actively participate in bilateral trade. Cultural, artisanal and gastronomic products, often prized by the diaspora, could find in this connection a direct route to reach Moroccan markets and beyond.
Additionally, this opportunity requires enhanced collaboration between the public and private sectors. The State, in partnership with actors such as Atlas Marine, must design tailor-made solutions for Senegalese exporters, ranging from training on international standards to access to competitive financing. Small and medium-sized Senegalese businesses must be supported to navigate commercial formalities and to adapt their products to the requirements of international markets.
Finally, Senegal must include this initiative in a long-term vision of regional integration. By aligning its trade policies with those of the AfCFTA, the country can use this link as a springboard to reach African and European markets. Dakar, as a regional hub, could become a transit center for goods from other West African countries, thus consolidating its strategic position.
The Agadir-Dakar maritime line is much more than a simple means of transport. It embodies a new era of economic collaboration, a bridge between two nations and an engine of growth for Senegal. To fully capitalize on this opportunity, it is essential that Senegal adopts an integrated strategy, combining innovation, investment and regional cooperation, in order to transform this corridor into a lever of sustainable prosperity for the country, in accordance with the vision of the Senegal 2050 Project, in accordance with the vision of the President of the Republic SEM Bassirou Diomaye FAYE and his Prime Minister SEM Ousmane SONKO. This is my firm conviction.
Babacar Sané BA
President of Citizen Alternatives
Coalition MIMI 2024
