The new port will build on growing trade to the existing Dakar base (Image: Getty)
A new state-of-the-art project is set to boost Senegal’s trade and status in a £9 million ($1.2 billion) expansion of ‘s shipping facilities.
The Port of Ndayane will include a 5-kilometre channel and two new quays, one of which will be 840 metres along and capable of accommodating the world’s largest container ships.
The work is being funded by Dubai-based logistics company DP World and the UK development agency British International Investment (BII).
151-metre-long dredger ship Willem Van Rubroeck is currently preparing to kickstart the transformation by dredging a shipping channel on the coastline to make way for the port.
Senegal already boasts one of the largest deepwater ports in West Africa in its Dakar region – with the new Ndayane infrastructure provisionally widening the coast’s capacity to support long-term growth.
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Senegal is expected to record economic growth of 7.1% this year (Image: Getty)
The Port of Dakar saw an increase in cargo capacity from 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) to 800,000 last year alone – with DP World CEO Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem suggesting the new development would help to capitalise on the growing demand.
“The port of Ndayane will elevate Senegal and impact trade across the African continent,” the businessman told .
“We are proud of our achievements [in] Dakar, and Ndayane marks the next level – positioning Senegal as a key trade hub for the region.”
If all goes according to plan, the new infrastructure will reportedly have capacity for 1.2 million TEUs each year.
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Senegal is popular with tourists for its beaches, wildlife and cultural draw (Image: Getty)
The BII estimates that the new port will boost Senegal’s GDP by around 3% and could inject £11.9 billion ($15 billion) into the trade economy by 2035.
It is also expected to create 1,800 jobs and support 22,000 existing roles.
The boost to the West African nation’s trade links are not an isolated example of its ambitious plans for the future.
Senegal is projected to achieve 7.1% economic growth in 2024, making it the second-fasted growing economy in West Africa and the fourth fastest worldwide, as per the International Monetary Fund.
The growth is primarily driven by development of West Africa’s hydrocarbon resources, mainly relating to oil and gas production, as well as its burgeoning tourism industry.