Madar (Dakar) - Senegal's programme to build Youth and Citizenship Houses (MJC) is facing major delays despite total funding of 37.42 billion CFA francs from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID): only 7 of the 38 facilities planned in its second phase were declared completed in 2026, the state-owned daily Le Soleil reported on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
According to the newspaper, the finding comes from the report presenting the 2027 draft budget of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, which points to implementation difficulties and delays in several localities, although the facilities are presented as spaces for sports, cultural, socio-economic, environmental and health activities.
In the programme's first phase, covering eight departments - Pikine, Guediawaye, Matam, Podor, Kaolack, Fatick, Goudiry and Velingara - only the Kaolack youth centre has been handed over. The ministry cites slow progress and failures by contractors that led to contract terminations and work stoppages, requiring the involvement of the State Judicial Agent.
The difficulties also stem, according to the report, from problems with contract approval by the Central Public Procurement Directorate (DCMP), contracts not registered by the Ministry of Finance and Budget, and funding shortfalls.
In the second phase, covering 38 departments, seven facilities were completed as of 2026, four are more than 80% complete, ten are between 60% and 80%, and ten others between 10% and 60%, while work has not yet started at seven sites.
The ministry intends to keep the programme among its priorities in 2027: the draft budget submitted to deputies includes 5.398 billion CFA francs for building the youth centres and announces the completion of the second-phase facilities.
Overall, the Ministry of Youth and Sports' 2027 draft budget stands at 35.327 billion CFA francs, against 40.316 billion in 2026, a 12.37% decrease mainly attributed to the end of the state's financial commitments to the organising committee of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (COJOJ).
