Senegal: the Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investments (FONSIS) and Sinohydro launch the water highway

In Senegal, a major initiative was launched to improve access to drinking water with the construction of the “first water highway”. The Sovereign Fund for Strategic Investments (FONSIS) signed a partnership with the Chinese company Sinohydro on Thursday in Dakar. This project, nicknamed “great water transfer”, provides for the construction of a 250 kilometer pipeline from Lake Guiers to the densely populated areas of Mbour, Dakar, and Thiès.

Sinohydro, recognized for its expertise in dam construction, was selected for its competitive financial proposal and its commitment to using local labor, conditional on the validation of feasibility studies by the Senegalese state. The financing is entirely supported by FONSIS and the project is expected to be completed by 2028, according to the Société Nationale des Eaux du Senegal (SONES).

This project aims to efficiently supply the populations of Touba, Mbour, Dakar, and Thiès with drinking water at affordable costs, while supporting food security and modernizing Senegalese agriculture. This initiative is considered historic by the Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, and benefits from the full support of the Ministry of Finance and Budget for its implementation in accordance with presidential directives.