Senegal’s UEMOA 2025 review shows steady progress with minor setbacks in key sectors

The Minister of Finance and Budget, Cheikh Diba, led the political phase of the 2025 UEMOA annual review in Dakar, joined by Abdoulaye Diop, President of the UEMOA Commission, and key government officials. This eleventh edition of the review, mandated by Additional Act No. 05/2013, has been conducted annually in Senegal since 2014 and became biannual following a decision made in Bissau in July 2023.

Designed as a strategic tool for deepening economic integration within the West African bloc, the review evaluates the implementation of shared initiatives outlined in the Union’s founding treaty. A technical assessment held from November 10 to 12, 2025, examined 145 reforms and five projects before the political phase validated the findings this week.

Mixed performance in reform implementation

The overall progress remains robust, though slightly weaker than last year. Senegal achieved an average implementation rate of 76.45% in 2025, down from 78.59% in 2024—a drop of 2.14 percentage points. This decline is largely attributed to underwhelming results in culture and tourism (-15.10 points) and craftsmanship, quality standards, and business climate (-34.75 points). Contributing factors also include delays in submitting the 2024 GUDEF report to the Commission.

On a positive note, notable improvements were recorded in customs union (+4.55 points), human and social development (+6.58 points), energy and mining (+3.33 points), and public finance harmonization (+1.88 point).

Collaborative review process and key takeaways

The technical phase was carried out in a spirit of cooperation, transparency, and professionalism by joint Senegalese and Commission teams. The synthesis will be presented by Mahamadou Gado, Commissioner for Economic Policies and Domestic Taxation, during an upcoming session.

Speaking after the review, Cheikh Diba reaffirmed the government’s commitment to enhancing its regional performance. He announced that the conclusions from this political phase will be submitted directly to the Prime Minister in a meeting with the UEMOA Commission President. Diba also praised the facilitative role of Amadou Tchambou, the Commission’s Resident Representative in Dakar, in bridging regional institutions and Senegalese administrations.

Abdoulaye Diop commended President Bassirou Diomaye Faye for his strong advocacy of regional integration, as well as the unwavering support from Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and the entire government in advancing the Union’s objectives.