For the first time in its history, Africa will host the Youth Olympic Games in 2026, and Dakar has the honor of celebrating this international sporting event. In this historic context, the Municipal Development Agency (ADM) is joining the Games, contributing its infrastructure and expertise to ensure the success of this global event.

PROGEP2: A Catalyst for Community Sports Development

Spanning seven years (2021-2029), the Stormwater Management and Climate Change Adaptation Project (PROGEP2) goes beyond simply managing flood risks. Funded by the World Bank, the State of Senegal, and the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), and coordinated by ADM, this ambitious project has also equipped its intervention areas with state-of-the-art sports infrastructure, creating a favorable environment for hosting large-scale sporting events.

Between 2021 and 2025, PROGEP2 revitalized the urban landscape of the Keur Massar department and other municipalities in the Dakar region by implementing Community Investment Projects (CIPs) focused on sports and youth. These infrastructures now form the foundation upon which some of the community Olympic activities will be based.

World-class sports facilities

ADM has deployed an impressive array of sports infrastructure in the PROGEP2 intervention zones:

State-of-the-art synthetic turf pitches, true gems for playing football

Multifunctional fields installed in schools to promote physical education

Play areas and sports trails that encourage daily physical activity

These strategic investments, located near wastewater treatment facilities, not only encourage sports participation but also contribute to the creation of green jobs and generate substantial resources for Local Committees for Stormwater Management Initiatives (COLIGEP) and River Basin Management Committees (CGB), which are responsible for maintaining wastewater treatment facilities. These resources are allocated through a portion of the revenue generated by the operation of community investment projects. This virtuous economic model combines sport, social development, and environmental sustainability.

A strategic synergy encouraged by the World Bank

In September 2025, a decisive meeting brought together ADM, the World Bank and the Organising Committee of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. This consultation laid the foundations for a strategic partnership aimed at pooling expertise and resources to ensure the glorious success of this major international sporting event.

The approach adopted by ADM, which aims to equip the intervention zones of PROGEP2 with quality multidisciplinary sports infrastructure, fits perfectly with the innovative spirit of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. This convergence of vision makes ADM a natural and essential partner for the community dimension of the Youth Olympic Games.

A rich and inclusive sports program

As part of its participation in the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the ADM plans to organize a series of multidisciplinary sporting competitions that will combine classic sports with traditional Senegalese disciplines. This program reflects the very spirit of the Youth Olympic Games, conceived as a platform for cultural exchange and the promotion of African cultures.

The subjects on the program

School football Olympics: 10 schools, 110 students, 5 days of competition

Table tennis tournament: 30 participants, 50% of whom were women, with inclusion of people with disabilities.

Intercommunal cycling competition: circuit linking Keur Massar to Lac Rose

Martial arts: karate, judo, Viet vo dao and Aï ki do with 18 competitors

Mass hike: 250 participants to raise awareness of environmental issues and the sustainable management of sanitation facilities;

Cultural evening of traditional wrestling "mbapat": celebration of ancestral values

A community-based and participatory approach

The originality of ADM's contribution lies in its deeply community-based approach. An inclusive and multi-stakeholder Technical Monitoring Committee (CTS) will be established, bringing together institutional, technical and community actors: departmental councils, municipalities, COLIGEPs, decentralized technical services, academic inspectorates, local civil society actors and youth organizations.

This participatory governance guarantees local ownership of the Games and ensures that the event will leave a lasting legacy in the territories involved. The sports infrastructure and equipment acquired for the competitions will then be registered as part of the assets of the COLIGEP (Local Committees for Sports and Physical Education) and the schools, thus perpetuating the sporting momentum beyond the event.

Sport, Environment and Citizenship: A Winning Trio

ADM does not see its participation in the Youth Olympic Games as a simple sporting event. The objective is threefold: to showcase sporting talent, to create a local dynamic for the preservation of sanitation infrastructure, and to raise public awareness of environmental and climate issues.

The cycling competitions, for example, will follow the PROGEP1 and 2 watersheds and wastewater networks to the Additional Phase (Lac Rose), adorned with informational leaflets promoting environmentally responsible behavior. The hiking event will directly engage local communities. Even the carbon footprint of the 13 days of competition will be calculated and offset through demonstrative environmental activities, demonstrating a comprehensive commitment to sustainability.

More than just participation in an international event, ADM's commitment to the 2026 Youth Olympic Games aims to bring about lasting change in the lives of young Senegalese people. By using the Olympic Games as a catalyst to mobilize youth around sport, the environment, and citizenship, ADM is embedding its actions within a long-term development vision, firmly rooted in the framework of public policies (SENEGAL Vision 2050).

The school olympiads will combine sporting activities and educational projects focused on developing values such as respect, commitment, tolerance, and solidarity. It is a tool for instilling in students eco-responsible values related to environmental management around swimming pools, through sports practice.

With the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, Africa is making a grand entrance into Olympic history. And the Dakar Metropolitan Area (ADM), through the PROGEP2 program, is demonstrating that urban development can and must incorporate a systemic approach that integrates strong sporting, social, and environmental dimensions. This represents a new mindset for urban renewal, championed by the highest authorities and implemented by the Ministry of Urban Planning, Local Authorities, and Territorial Development under the leadership of Minister Moussa Bala Fofana.

By putting its infrastructure, expertise, and community network at the service of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the Municipal Development Agency is not simply participating in an event: it is helping to build the lasting legacy that the Games will leave for future generations. This contribution makes the Municipal Development Agency a crucial player in this celebration of youth, sport, and Senegalese hospitality .