The first edition of the Investors Forum of the Organization for the Development of the Gambia River (OMVG) opened on Monday, June 16 in Dakar (Senegal), with the ambition of rallying technical and financial partners around its new 2040 Integrated Development Master Plan (PDDI). This plan includes the implementation of 179 projects, 26 of which are considered a priority, with a total estimated cost of $7.95 billion.
This forum marks a strategic step for the OMVG, which aims to demonstrate that its PDDI goes beyond simple planning: it is presented as a “true catalyst for regional cooperation and sustainable transformation.”
The support of the already committed member states
“This forum is not just a technical meeting. It is a decisive step to forge new alliances and share a clear vision: to make our shared natural resources a lever for sustainable growth, economic inclusion, and geopolitical stability,” said Aboubacar Camara, president of the OMVG Council of Ministers and Guinean Minister of Energy, Hydraulics, and Hydrocarbons.
Cheikh Tidiane Dièye, Senegalese Minister of Hydraulics and Sanitation, emphasized that “partner support will be crucial in meeting the major challenges related to the implementation of structuring projects in the fields of energy, water, environment, and climate resilience.” He recalled Senegal’s commitment, particularly through the recent operationalization of the SOGESART action (a strategic management company essential for unlocking crucial financing of 9 billion CFA francs for the exploitation of the Sambangalou dam in southeastern Senegal), a structure that will ensure, alongside the High Commission, the management and operation of the OMVG heritage.
Partners praise an exemplary development tool
On the side of technical and financial partners, Mohamed Chérif, head of the Senegal office of the African Development Bank (AfDB), highlighted his institution’s long-standing support for the OMVG. He cited the ongoing energy project, amounting to 880 million euros, financed by eight partners and coordinated by the AfDB. He added: “the group reiterates its availability and commitment to support the OMVG in the implementation of its Integrated Development Master Plan, which will contribute to strengthening regional and sub-regional cooperation in a dynamic of harmonious and sustainable economic development.”
Speaking in turn, Andrea Semadeni, Swiss Ambassador to Senegal, praised the relevance of the PDDI, which he describes as an exemplary instrument. He emphasized its potential in terms of human development, economic growth for riparian countries, and the preservation of natural resources and ecosystems in the Gambia River basins. “Switzerland fully subscribes to these guidelines and supports them,” he said.
A call for innovative financing mechanisms
For Demba Jallow, High Commissioner of the OMVG, this forum symbolizes a new phase in the regional cooperation dynamic: “Vision is not enough. We need strong partnerships, innovation, and boldness to achieve the ambitions of the PDDI,” he emphasized.
Finally, Aboubacar Camara called for innovation in financing. He urged stakeholders to move beyond traditional models of fragmented financing, focusing on the pooling of sovereign guarantees, the creation of regional stabilization funds, and public-private partnerships tailored to local realities.
