Dakar 26 April 2021: The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group hosted a virtual event, handing-over officially the final report on the National Green Export Review (NGER) to the Government of Senegal. The event, which was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD)  of the Republic of Senegal  and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 26 April 2021, was an occasion to present to the Government of Senegal the key results and perspectives of the NGER report.

After expressing appreciation and thanks to all the participants who provided efforts in implementing the project aimed at supporting the Senegalese Government, Mr. Musa Sillah, the Director, Regional Hub of Dakar, Senegal at the Islamic Development Bank stated that the mango and cashew nut sectors chosen as priority sectors for the project based on an analysis of Senegalese exports are aligned with the IsDB strategy, which focused on these two products in its agriculture transformation project, Agropole Sud, co-financed  with the African Development Bank.

According to the Senegalese Export Agency, the mango sector has experienced remarkable growth since the 2000s and now represents more than 63% of the national production of fruit and vegetables, while the cashew dynamism is illustrated by the doubling of its production between 2007 and 2017. Mr. Musa echoed the Ministry of Environment and some participants' call for implementing the report action plan and reaffirmed that IsDB is standing ready to continue the collaboration and partnership with the Government of Senegal, the Private sector and any other stakeholders of the sector. IsDB and all the entities of the Group are looking forward to any request through the Ministry of Economy and Planning of Senegal to pursue and implement the action plans.

For Mr. Malick Kane, the Sustainable Trade and Access Market Project Coordinator at United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Senegal’s NGER report is of very high quality and meets the standard of the ones elaborated previously for other countries.  He also emphasized the collaboration on the one hand between UNCTAD and IsDB and on the other hand between these Institutions and the Government of Senegal. He believes that the NGER report  provides to both government and partners the opportunity to create employment for the youth.

On his part, Mr. Amadou Lamine Guisse, the General Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) of the Republic of Senegal,  greeted the participants on behalf of his Minister before stating that this NGER Report put Senegal in the shortlist of Countries that have achieved this important exercise. Indeed, Senegal is the ninth country in the world and the fourth in Africa to produce an NGER report. He also highlighted the timely handover of the report, which is in line with the Senegalese national Development Plan called PSE and, in particular, the Green PSE. For him, the report will contribute to the emergency program of youth employment and socio-economic integration validated by the President of Senegal in the Ministerial Council in December 2020. He called for the implementation of the report action plan and to keep the momentum, which found a favorable echo from the IsDB Regional Hub Director Musa Sillah.

Mr. Mamadou DABO, the Consultant, delivered a presentation on the main findings of the Senegal NGER Report aimed at boosting green production and exports, increasing value-added, and generating employment, while making positive environmental impacts. He identified five issues and challenges for mango and cashew sectors articulated around (i) Strengthening of technical, financial, and organizational capacities, (ii) Strengthening the operational capacities of operators, (iii) market access, (iv) Improving productivity and technology and (v) building strategic collaborations.

The event brought together representatives of some Senegalese governmental institutions and agencies, including the Ministry of Trade, the Food Technology Institute (ITA), the National Agricultural Insurance Company, the Export Promotion Agency, the Institute of Agriculture Research (ISRA), the small and medium-sized enterprises development and supervision agency (ADEPME).