Senegal has embarked on a public service reform initiative aimed at restoring the trust between the government and its citizens. Collective participation is encouraged to maximize the outcomes.

Senegal’s Minister of Public Service and Public Service Reform, Olivier Boucal, on Thursday launched the first edition of the “Gov’Athon,” an initiative aimed at generating ideas and practical solutions to modernize the country’s public administration.

“Inspired by innovation competitions commonly known as hackathons, the concept reflects my desire to pool resources and build collective intelligence to address the concerns of public administration users. The 'Gov'Athon' is a unique opportunity to rethink our administration. By mobilizing Senegalese youth, we hope to discover innovative ideas that can transform our public services and effectively meet the needs of our citizens,” Boucal said.

Participating teams, composed of students from both public and private universities nationwide, will compete to develop solutions across several key areas. These include public service transformation, education and vocational training improvement, sustainable agriculture and livestock development, urban mobility optimization, air transport innovation, and local tourism promotion.

The Gov’Athon is part of Senegal’s broader plan to modernize the administration and build a sovereign, prosperous nation, in line with directives from President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The month-long competition will award prizes of XOF20 million (about $33,200), XOF10 million, and XOF5 million to the top three teams. Winners will also receive three months of free coworking space access and equipment vouchers to aid in solution implementation.

Samira Njoya