Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye inaugurated, on December 16, 2025, the first national assembly plant for military vehicles, located on the International Industrial Platform of Diamniadio and led by ISEVEM, Senegalese Military Vehicle Industry. Senegal is thus taking a decisive step in its strategy of industrial and security empowerment.
This infrastructure marks a strategic turning point. According to authorities, it reflects Dakar’s desire to reduce its external dependence, increase its projection capabilities, and structure a true defense industrial base. Developed on 200 hectares in two phases, the complex aims for an annual production of 1,000 vehicles and the creation of hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, strengthening the government’s goal of skills enhancement and inclusive industrialization. The executive wants to make it a major lever for skilled employment, industrial specialization, and the valorization of national talents, especially young engineers.
For now, the State holds 35% of the capital through the Sovereign Strategic Investment Fund (FONSIS), responsible for securing public participation, ensuring the strategic coherence of the project, and structuring a sustainable economic model. The Republic of Korea, a technical partner, supports the factory through training and technology transfer programs for Senegalese engineers and technicians, covering assembly, quality control, testing, and maintenance. The progressive integration of local subcontractors should create opportunities for SMEs and stimulate the national industrial ecosystem.
For the Senegalese head of state, this factory represents the first step in a gradual process: the development of local assembly capacities, evolution towards the design and production of defense equipment.
This new platform thus introduces Senegal into a dynamic where sovereignty, innovation, and industrial resilience converge. By providing the country with a strategic production capacity, the project aims to strengthen national security, attract investors, modernize the productive apparatus, and establish Senegal as a future regional hub for defense technologies.
