Senegal paid a national tribute on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, to Professor Amadou Mahtar Mbow, an emblematic figure of knowledge, culture, and Pan-Africanism. The ceremony was held at the Diamniadio Exhibition Center, in the presence of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, numerous dignitaries, and the deceased's family.

In his speech, the Head of State paid tribute to the memory of a "man of virtue, an exemplary citizen who served Senegal and humanity greatly."

"Through my voice, the entire nation expresses its deep gratitude and celebrates the memory of Amadou Mahtar Mbow, whose name is now engraved in the marble of our national conscience," he said.

President Faye recalled that the career of Professor Mbow, former Director-General of UNESCO, "radiates the national consciousness and inspires generations." He also emphasized the universal significance of his fight for equality between peoples and cultures, emphasizing the need to continue this legacy through Senegal's educational and cultural policies.

"What brings us together transcends a tribute ceremony dedicated to a man. It is an act of collective conscience, a duty of remembrance and a meeting of the nation with itself," the president insisted.

President Faye took the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to the recovery of memory and the promotion of indigenous knowledge, at the heart of national cultural reform. "We have a sacred duty to preserve our roots in order to better magnify them in modern times. The arts embody this living link between ancestral wisdom and digital modernity," he emphasized.

In this regard, the Head of State announced the creation of the Amadou Mahtar Mbow Grand Prize, intended to promote endogenous African knowledge, as well as the recognition of public utility of the Amadou Mahtar Mbow Foundation, whose "constant commitment to promoting the intellectual and moral heritage of the deceased" he praised.

The family of Professor Amadou Mahtar Mbow, through the president of the foundation, expressed its gratitude to the head of state for "this vibrant tribute paid to a man whose life was a model of service, dignity and commitment to Africa."