Faye and Makhtar Diop discuss private capital for YOG legacy
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Senego
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye discussed with Makhtar Diop, managing director of the International Finance Corporation, private capital to finance the legacy of the Dakar 2026 YOG. The talks aim to develop a job-creating sports economy, while other meetings focused on infrastructure and training, according to Apanews.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Makhtar Diop, managing director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), discussed in Dakar on Saturday how to mobilise private capital to extend the benefits of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), Apanews reported. They discussed developing a sports economy that creates jobs and wealth for young people.
On the sidelines of the Sport and Development Summit, held on 30 and 31 October, Faye also received Prince Fahad Bin Jalawi Al Saud, vice-president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee. They discussed sports facilities, talent training and relations between the Senegalese and Saudi Olympic movements. Senegal intends, in particular, to strengthen its capacity to host international competitions.
The head of state also met Janira Hopffer Almada, acting president of Cabo Verde, with whom he discussed bilateral cooperation and cooperation within ECOWAS. He received Gao Zhidan, special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, to discuss the partnership between Senegal and China, particularly in sport, youth training and infrastructure.
The meetings are part of the goal of securing a lasting economic legacy for the YOG, which Faye has already championed. On 26 October, he handed the national flag to the 136 Senegalese athletes selected for the Games. On 31 October, he reiterated his ambition to make the YOG a driver of a lasting economic legacy.
