The Autonomous Port of Dakar (PAD), in partnership with the Jambaar TPM consortium, launched a modernization project for Pier 4 on Thursday, April 2, 2026, with an initial investment of 56 billion CFA francs. Over the next 12 months, this terminal, which handles 20% of port traffic, is slated to become a national and sub-regional logistics hub. The project aims to modernize and streamline operations at Pier 4, which "handles grain as well as steel and iron" and has "a direct impact on the national economy." "The idea is to make it more efficient, to modernize it, so that traffic grows," explained Omar Blondin Diop, Deputy Managing Director of Jambaar TPM.

Beyond the creation of this multimodal, multipurpose terminal at Pier 4, the project envisions the development of river-sea transport to serve the interior of the country. "The idea is to develop waterways for the direct transfer of cargo by river-sea, rather than by road," explained Mr. Diop. This would be an alternative to the currently massive road traffic, with nearly "2,000 trucks per day" in Dakar, according to Aly Nar Ndiaye. This transport system should thus "decongest the port and the capital," "reduce accidents and pollution," and "preserve road infrastructure." In this way, Malian goods could be redirected to intermediate hubs like Kaolack, bypassing Dakar altogether.

Speaking about the second phase of the project, she outlined plans for the rehabilitation of regional ports, notably those of Ziguinchor, Kaolack, Ndakhonga, and Saint-Louis, with an estimated investment of between 15 and 30 billion CFA francs. The goal is to move beyond a port-centric model focused on the capital and build an integrated port network. "We will no longer have a hub limited to Dakar, but a national, even sub-regional, port hub," emphasized Omar Blondin Diop, mentioning potential connections with Banjul and Praia.

From the Port Authority of Douala's (PAD) perspective, the project is part of a structured legal framework. According to Aly Nar Ndiaye, advisor to the Director General, the concession of the terminal was conducted "with complete transparency and ethics" for a period of 25 years. Praising the alliance between local and international expertise, Aly Nar Ndiaye stated that Jambaar TPM was chosen because its composition was considered unprecedented. Indeed, according to Wally Diouf Bodian's advisor, this consortium brings together "Senegalese expertise in logistics and infrastructure," "a shipping company with a fleet of 40 cargo ships," the Port of Antwerp, and a Spanish partner specializing in port infrastructure. "This is the first time we have seen a consortium of this type," Mr. Ndiaye emphasized.

Furthermore, the Director General of the Autonomous Port of Dakar, Wally Diouf Bodian, places this project within a broader vision for the port's transformation. "We want the Port of Dakar to be viewed differently," he declared, aiming to make the PAD a continental benchmark. "We want to be to Africa what the Port of Antwerp is to Europe," he added.

The launch of this project took place alongside an official visit by the Jambaar TPM consortium delegation and the inauguration of the consortium's headquarters, located opposite Pier 2 of the Autonomous Port of Dakar (PAD). The official delegation also visited the PAD's waterfront area in the presence of the Belgian Ambassador to Dakar, Hélène De Bock.