As part of efforts to strengthen synergies for territorial development and sustainable rural entrepreneurship, the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (DER-FJ) and the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER) signed a strategic partnership agreement. The official ceremony took place on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at the DER-FJ headquarters in Le Point, Dakar, in the presence of Dr. Aïssatou Mbodji, Director General of DER-FJ, and Mr. Jean Michel Sène, Director General of ASER.

Objective: "To promote access to sustainable and productive energy in rural areas, while supporting entrepreneurial initiatives led by women and young people."

Access to electricity is now recognized as a major driver in supporting income-generating activities for women and young people, particularly in rural areas. It is within this context that the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship for Women and Youth (DER-FJ) and the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER) have decided to combine their expertise to develop integrated models linking entrepreneurship and sustainable territorial development.

The goal is to promote access to sustainable and productive energy in rural areas, while supporting entrepreneurial initiatives led by women and young people. The aim is to transform access to energy into a concrete economic opportunity for the benefit of women, young people, and local communities.

In this capacity, ASER, which is responsible for the planning, financing, and monitoring of rural electrification programs and contributes to the national objective of universal access to electricity, is committed to developing financing mechanisms to fund activities in the energy and entrepreneurship sectors; providing technical and tariff information related to areas currently being electrified; and integrating the energy needs of DER-FJ beneficiaries into network planning and expansion. It is also committed to ensuring technical coordination and actively participating in collaborative energy governance bodies.

The DER-FJ, which leads the policy for promoting women's and youth entrepreneurship and also supports local and regional economic development, is committed to financing the funding mechanisms provided for within the framework of this strategic partnership. It also commits to strengthening the technical, entrepreneurial, and financial capacities of the beneficiaries; providing ASER with technical and geographic data; supporting the logistical and organizational operations related to connecting the beneficiary entrepreneurs; developing a set of training modules and business plan and economic model materials for fundraising; and actively participating in the mechanisms, governance, and coordination.

Create an environment conducive to the emergence of income-generating activities

In other words, by facilitating the productive use of energy in rural areas, DER-FJ and ASER aim to create an environment conducive to the emergence of income-generating activities, particularly benefiting women and young people. Indeed, the agreement provides for the development of joint financing mechanisms designed to support projects with a strong economic and social impact. These mechanisms will focus in particular on supporting activities related to agriculture, agri-food processing, aquaculture, conservation, storage, digital services, and other productive uses of energy.

This synergy is already reflected in the programs carried out by the DER-FJ, notably PAVIE 2 and “Bay Sa Waar ci Senegaal”, a flagship initiative with an ongoing pilot phase of 50 integrated and smart farms in central-western Senegal, and the income-generating activities implemented by ASER in rural areas.

Beyond funding, the two organizations will place particular emphasis on strengthening the technical and managerial capacities of beneficiaries to ensure the viability, profitability, and sustainability of the supported businesses. Awareness-raising, training, and support activities will be deployed in the targeted areas to encourage local entrepreneurship and promote the opportunities offered by the green economy.

This strategic partnership agreement thus marks an important step in the desire of both institutions to contribute, in a concerted manner, to improving the living conditions of rural populations and to creating sustainable economic opportunities throughout the national territory.