For the second consecutive year, Ecobank Senegal is supporting GOV'ATHON, a hackathon initiated by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Public Service Reform to accelerate the modernisation of the Senegalese administration and stimulate innovation driven by the country's young talents.

Ecobank Senegal reaffirms its commitment as a strategic partner to the government and its youth by sponsoring, for the second consecutive year, the GOV'ATHON , a national hackathon dedicated to modernizing the Senegalese public administration. Organized by the Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Public Service Reform, this initiative aims to harness the collective intelligence of young people to propose innovative solutions serving the public interest.

This 2025 edition of GOV'ATHON spans six key sectors of the administration and has mobilized 812 projects , 104 of which were shortlisted . Twenty-one finalists have been selected, and three winners will be chosen by a qualified jury. The grand finale is scheduled for December 23rd , the culmination of a demanding process combining innovation, collaboration, and civic engagement. Prior to this, Ecobank Senegal also participated in the GOVATOUR , an awareness-raising tour aimed at encouraging students and young project leaders to embrace this competition and actively participate in the transformation of public services.

Beyond its financial support, Ecobank Senegal intends to play an active role in supporting project leaders. The bank will provide structured skills-based sponsorship, including training, mentoring, and support, to foster project development and strengthen the capacities of the future champions of the GOV'ATHON. This approach is fully aligned with Ecobank Senegal's commitment to youth empowerment and the promotion of initiative and creativity.

This mobilization takes place within a context where Senegalese youth constitute a major demographic and economic force. In Senegal, young people represent a significant portion of the active population and national dynamism: nearly 75% of the population is under 35 years old , with a significant proportion of young people wishing to start businesses or contribute to the country's social and economic development.

For Ecobank Senegal, this commitment to public innovation and young talent is part of a clear vision: to contribute to the modernization of the administration while giving young people the means to express their potential and be agents of change.   “The modernization of public administration is a strategic issue for the development of Senegal. By supporting the GOV’ATHON, we affirm our commitment to supporting the State in this transformation and to trusting in the ingenuity of Senegalese youth ,” emphasizes Sahid Yallou, Managing Director of Ecobank Senegal.

“In a country where young people represent a large majority of the working population, it is essential to create opportunities that value their ideas and creativity. We must strengthen synergies between institutions, the private sector and young innovators to build a more efficient, more transparent and closer-to-citizens public administration ,” he adds.

This commitment is not limited to the framework of the hackathon, as Ecobank Senegal has been deploying concrete actions in support of education, training and professional integration for several years.

By supporting the GOV'ATHON, Ecobank Senegal reaffirms its role as a committed player in national development. At the crossroads of public innovation, education, and entrepreneurship, the bank contributes to building a more modern and efficient administration, driven by a youth aware of its role in transforming Senegal.