Senegal is set to terminate a 32-year water infrastructure agreement with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power, citing prohibitive costs, reports The North Africa Post. The announcement came from Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, the Minister of Water and Sanitation, who pointed to the long-term financial burden of the $800 million project.
The contract, inked in March during the final days of former President Macky Sall's administration, aimed to construct and operate a desalination plant in Dakar. Promoted as Sub-Saharan Africa's largest such venture, the facility was expected to produce 400,000 cubic meters of water daily, addressing critical shortages in a nation where water demand is projected to surge by up to 60% by 2035, according to World Bank forecasts. Climate change is further straining water resources in Senegal, which borders the arid Sahel region.
However, Minister Dieye criticized the project on Thursday, describing it as a "short-termist and expensive solution." He raised concerns about potential increases in water prices due to the chosen technology and noted that essential environmental assessments had not been conducted. "In three or four years, we will need more than 400,000 cubic meters per day because the population of Dakar is growing," Dieye added.
