In a ceremony held on October 1, 2026, Jean Michel Sène officially transferred leadership of the Agence Sénégalaise d'Électrification Rurale (ASER) to Papa Momar Ngom. Sène, the outgoing Director-General, expressed satisfaction with her tenure, citing a positive balance and a sense of duty fulfilled. She highlighted ASER's regained prominence in Senegal's national rural electrification efforts.
During the handover, Sène showcased impressive results, presenting data to support her claims. She stated that ASER has reestablished its position, with a portfolio of projects and programs covering over 4,000 localities. These initiatives aim to produce benefits beyond electrification, including youth training, skills transfer, and local content development. Sène emphasized that significant obstacles have been overcome.
Sène mentioned several key projects, including PUELEC 1 - SAGEMCOM, which was initially planned for 706 localities but was renegotiated to cover 1,000 localities. She revealed that after the initial commercial credit expired in March 2025, negotiations secured 5.6 billion FCFA from a local bank in December 2025, followed by an additional 1.6 billion FCFA in August 2026.
Another notable project is AEE POWER, which was renegotiated to cover 1,740 localities across thirteen regions. Sène noted that when she took office, nearly 37 billion FCFA, or 40% of the total market amount, had been ordered and disbursed despite several prerequisites not being met. She also cited the IRENA project for installing 27 mini-power plants and reinforcing 18 others.
Sène discussed additional initiatives, such as the SHS 500 program, financed by ASER's own funds, which aims to electrify 503 localities, benefiting over 3,000 rural households with individual solar systems. Other programs include PU 2024 and PU 2025, funded from ASER's resources, which will electrify 25 villages and reinforce 18 mini-power plants.
The outgoing Director-General also highlighted her efforts to renegotiate stalled contracts, structure new ones, secure their execution, and prepare for accelerated implementation. She emphasized that ASER now has a robust portfolio of projects and programs covering over 4,000 localities. Furthermore, Sène mentioned that her administration had settled social debts totaling 112,011,987 FCFA owed to agents prior to her tenure.
With the transfer of leadership, Papa Momar Ngom takes the reins at ASER, tasked with building on the progress achieved under Sène's direction. The change in leadership marks a new chapter for the agency, which has made significant strides in rural electrification and community development.
Key points
- Jean Michel Sène hands over ASER leadership to Papa Momar Ngom after highlighting achievements in rural electrification.
- Outgoing Director-General Sène touts a positive legacy, with ASER's projects covering over 4,000 localities.
- Sène's tenure saw significant progress, including the renegotiation of key contracts and substantial investments in rural electrification initiatives.
