Senegal Economy: the Factors, the Meaning, the Future and more

Senegal economy: why is it so bad?

After the Independences, Senegalese people were very optimistic about their future; they were not ruled by a colonial power anymore; they were given the chance to do whatever they wanted with their country.

Fifty years later we realize that maybe we weren’t ready to take control, because things are not looking very good.

There are several reasons why the economy of Senegal is not good, including that even though we were free, we still heavily depended on our ex colonizer.

But the most important one to my opinion is that of leadership. I think there hasn’t been in Senegal a leader that is solely working for the interest of Senegalese people.

Unfortunately, personal agendas is what drives most Senegalese politicians.

What Does Being a Poor Country Means to Senegal?

When I was studying in the U.S, so many people asked me what Senegal looks like. Some questions that I got were: if Senegalese lived in huts, or if we saw lions every day.

These type of questions are expected because after all, Senegal is one of the poorest country in the world. But does that mean everybody in Senegal is poor? Probably not.

What people have to understand is that just like in any country in the world, African countries have many aspects to them.

And the best way to see all these aspects, is to go and actually visit them; certainly, just watching TV shows about a place won’t give you the whole dynamic of it.

How the Future looks like..

Buildings, luxury hotels, luxury condos, new roads, monuments, a new airport etc.

These are the things that are being built in Senegal right now (Dakar more specifically), and because of these constructions, the current regime in power is arguing that they’ve done more than the previous regime has done in forty years.

To Senegalese people, most of these things being built are good, but many people think that the government is missing his priorities.

Electricity production is still a big issue in Senegal; consequently, households and small businesses can stay a whole day without power.

This is a very big problem because most Senegalese are unemployed and are only able to provide for their family by starting small businesses like carpentry or tailoring;

but without electricity all these people are unable to work.

Senegal Economy: what you can do to help

Many people have come to Senegal to help the less fortunate;

most of them go into villages, and try to start projects that involve using solar energy to power households, or they're digging for wells, or teaching, etc.

Some of these people have found themselves attached to the country and stayed as expats.

By joining a non-governmental organization, you can also feel the joy that Senegalese people get from simple things like having electricity or knowing how to read.

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