Dakar YOG 2026 : what if we stopped missing our opportunities ?

By Rivolala RATSIMANDRESY

Senegal is the host, but it is Africa that is being celebrated.
 But if we’re not careful, others will be the ones to benefit — again.

Less than a year away from the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Dakar 2026, Senegal is at a crossroads. The event promises visibility, economic opportunities, and continental pride. But behind the enthusiasm lies a more complex reality: delays, budget pressures, and above all, a glaring underutilization of local talent.

What if, for once, we truly did things differently?

An overlooked reservoir of solutions: local SMEs and startups

The government has expressed strong ambitions: inclusion, local development, modernization. That’s great! But let’s be honest: as long as we don’t break down barriers, as long as we don’t trust our SMEs, startups, and innovators, it will all remain just slogans.

Why continue to operate in a closed loop, with the same actors, the same logic, the same sealed-off tenders for an event that should be inclusive?

Why not mobilize the collective intelligence of our entrepreneurial fabric to tackle the challenges of a global event?

Real challenges, and solutions that already exist

There’s no need to wait for foreign consultants or disconnected multinationals.
 Here are some areas where our local companies can make a difference right now:

• Mobility: Senegalese startups and SMEs are already designing smart, eco-friendly transport solutions.
  
• Agri-food: Our agricultural SMEs can meet the challenge of feeding the YOG with local, sustainable, and traceable products.
  
• Waste management: The Games offer a unique opportunity to connect SONAGED (National Integrated Waste Management Company) with innovative solutions developed by local SMEs and startups in this sector. By creating a collaborative ecosystem, SONAGED can leverage these partnerships to optimize waste management and significantly reduce the event’s environmental footprint.
  
• Health: In line with the government’s health priorities, the Games present a key opportunity to spotlight this fundamental sector. They should allow startups already offering innovative health solutions to seize concrete opportunities to demonstrate their expertise.
  
• Education & awareness: Digital platforms can train, inform, and spread the values of Olympism… in a made-in-Africa version.

This is not an abstract idea — it’s tangible.

The solutions are here, ready to be deployed. What’s the holdup? Access.

There’s a real lack of a channel connecting our SMEs, startups, and innovators to the Dakar 2026 project.

The YOG: a springboard, not just an event

Let’s not reduce Dakar 2026 to construction sites and bleachers.
 ➡️ It’s a moment of truth for our economy.
 ➡️ An opportunity for structural transformation in sectors like mobility, tourism, tech, or agriculture.
 ➡️ And a strong message to Senegalese and African youth: you belong here.

A clear call: we need a bold alliance

I call on the organizers (@Dakar 2026 – Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee). There’s still time to open the game.
 📌 Let’s create an alliance between the YOG institution and the innovative private ecosystem.
 📌 Let SMEs, startups, and more broadly the entire existing entrepreneurial fabric in Senegal co-build the success of Dakar 2026 with you.
 📌 Let SMEs prove they are up to the task.

We, the actors of the ecosystem, are ready. We know the talents, we know how to support them. But we need a strong signal from your side.

Dakar 2026: A nation’s challenge, a continent’s pride

This is not just a sporting competition. It’s a turning point.

Either we repeat the mistakes of the past, or we seize this opportunity to invent a new model of collaboration — by us, for us.

The choice is yours.

*Rivolala RATSIMANDRESY is the founder of Rencontre des Entrepreneurs (RDE).