As Senegal aims to transform its economy from an agricultural base to a diversified and dynamic industrial sector, energy prices risk hindering this economic and social development project. This is a warning from West African energy expert Ibrahima Thiam.

Invited to the Seneweb Eco program this Sunday, December 14, 2025, the electrical engineer stressed the central role of electricity in the national economic dynamic, recalling that "energy is the engine of economic and social development."

According to him, high energy costs directly penalize local businesses. "If you have high energy prices, your businesses are not competitive," he warned.

In an open regional market, such as that of ECOWAS, this situation can drive investors towards countries where electricity is cheaper. "In a unified market, if we have disparities between countries, it means that an industrialist setting up in Senegal has more incentive to locate nearby," explains Ibrahima Thiam.

A situation that can have "a direct impact on employment, on gross domestic product and on the standard of living of the population", according to the former energy director of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).

Households are not spared from this price pressure. "For households, the energy bill is an expense that must be monitored very closely," he stated, noting that the issue of energy directly impacts purchasing power.

Thus, Ibrahima Thiam stressed the need to act not only on the supply, but also on the uses.