By Oumar Dembele
The first part of a three-part series presented by APA, this article explores how, one year after its first extractions, Senegal is focusing on transparency, sovereignty, and local transformation to make its oil sector a driver of sustainable development.
One year after its first hydrocarbon extractions, Senegal is establishing itself among African producers, with clearly stated ambitions: to make oil and gas a lever for inclusive and sustainable development through transparency, local transformation, and shared governance.
Data from the Ministry of Petroleum published in July 2025 confirms this growing momentum. In June alone, 2.9 million barrels of crude oil were exported from the Sangomar offshore field, for a total of 9.63 million barrels in the second quarter.
The annual forecast remains at 30.53 million barrels. On the gas front, two shipments of liquefied natural gas were delivered in June as part of the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) cross-border project, representing 330,000 cubic metres, in addition to the 168 to 426 cubic metres shipped in mid-May.
Cheikh Niane, Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum, and Mines, summarised the government’s vision during a recent roundtable discussion: “We have about 100,000 barrels per day. And we began exporting liquefied natural gas a few weeks ago. We plan to reach 2.5 million tons per year.”
Beyond production, the concern is how these resources will be managed. Mr. Niane reiterated that “natural resources belong to the people, not to the state,” in reference to Article 25 of the Senegalese constitution. Hence the desire to establish an ongoing dialogue with civil society, elected officials, and companies to ensure fair
management.
The ministry is also tackling abuses in the mining sector. An audit revealed that 491 out of 513 titles were non-compliant.
“At the end of July, we will organize open days to allow non-compliant stakeholders to regularise their situation,” he announced.
Exceptional Payments
According to the EITI report for the first half of 2024, hydrocarbons generated 45.79 billion CFA francs in revenue, an increase thanks to exceptional payments from the Woodside Energy group. But despite this increase, the issue of redistribution remains sensitive.
Thialy Faye, Chair of the National EITI Committee, warns: “Senegal is entering the era of oil and gas production, a long-awaited phase, bringing considerable opportunities but also systemic risks if it is not governed by rigorous governance.”
This former member of the Civil Forum criticises an extractive model that exports raw materials without added value.
“In 2023, export production was 1,110 billion CFA francs, but the contribution to the budget was only 346 billion. These figures call on us to change course, method, and pace,” he suggests.
He advocates a shift toward integrated industrialization, to locally produce electricity, fertilizers, and materials based on mining and gas resources.
“Everything is at stake now, now that the first barrels are being extracted, now that young people are demanding answers, jobs, and prospects,” he insists.
Among civic organisations, the tone is both committed and vigilant.
Elimane Kane, President of LEGS Africa, believes the state still has a long way to go in terms of contractual transparency. “Even though efforts are being made, the Senegalese government is not yet fully ready to meet all its legal commitments, but especially to follow through on the commitments of the private partners with whom we work,” he said, before calling for a “paradigm shift” in the types of contracts so that the resources exploited can be used for the country’s sustainable economic transformation.
Greater involvement
For him, democratic governance requires the active participation of citizens and local authorities. “The government must work with all stakeholders, especially citizens. This strengthens the country’s transparency and negotiating capacity. (…) Local groups are excluded from the decision-making process. They must be involved at all levels,” Mr. Kane recommends.
Public policy experts are focusing on the legal and fiscal environment. Sokhna Assiatou Diop, Head of Public Policy and the Fiscal Credibility Program at IBP Senegal, sees this energy transition as a strategic opportunity. “Revenues from the extractive sector could represent between 5 and 7 percent of GDP by 2030. But wealth will only come if it is processed locally,” she notes.
She calls for a reform of the investment code, still based on a 2004 law, to incorporate tax incentives for local processing, favour investors who create value locally, and strengthen fiscal governance.
“Senegal now has the means and the duty to build a different trajectory, focused on local processing, the emergence of industrial champions, and the creation of skilled jobs,” she asserts.
As hydrocarbons take their place in the Senegalese economy, a consensus is emerging: the success of this sector will depend not only on the volumes extracted, but above all on the quality of the political, institutional, and economic choices made. Transparency, social justice, and transformation are the pillars of a model that aims to be
sovereign and sustainable.
ODL/ac/Sf/fss/as/APA