Investing in the Future of Thiès: Creating Impact Businesses for Youth Employment

Thiès, a crossroads city near Dakar, benefits from the revitalization of the railway, the planned extension of the TER, and the AIBD–Thiès highway. According to the AFD, the industrial economy is gradually shifting towards Thiès, and the Prime Minister's Office estimated investments in the region between 2014 and 2022 at 1,228 billion FCFA. There is strong potential in agro-industry, horticulture, and aquaculture: the FAO Agri-accelerator 2.0 program for mango and oyster, the western agropole announced in Malicounda-Ngueniène-Sandiara (5,000 direct jobs planned), and horticultural zones like the Diobass valley. The city relies on a solid educational and economic fabric: University of Thiès, École polytechnique, Manufactures des arts décoratifs, merchants, and artisans. The municipality supports youth (scholarships, digital training from age eight), and the Xëyu Ndaw Ni program places the Thiès department at the forefront with 712 jobs, according to the Prime Minister's Office. Young entrepreneurs still face needs for financing, support, and market access. This mission mobilizes the diaspora to invest in impact businesses, transfer skills, and open business networks to serve youth employment.