At the dawn of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and in a context marked by revelations about hidden debt, this column questions: how can we give back to our youth the keys to a sovereign and competitive future? While thousands of young Senegalese are leaving school without prospects, Samba Kara NDIAYE offers concrete avenues to reform our educational system, guarantee the transparency of budgets, and make young people actors of endogenous development.
Education and sovereignty: how to train free and competitive Senegalese youth?
When a country hides its debts but proudly displays its unemployed graduates, there is a vision problem. Today, thousands of young Senegalese leave school with a diploma in one hand and an empty CV in the other. Yet education should be our most powerful weapon to build a sovereign and competitive future. As the Youth Olympic Games approach, let us remember the obvious: no medal will ever replace quality education, accessible and adapted to the realities of the 21st century.
The Senegalese education system is running out of steam. Between programs disconnected from market needs, under-equipped schools and underpaid teachers, how can we hope to train young people capable of meeting the challenges of tomorrow? The revelation of the hidden debt showed that priorities were elsewhere: billions diverted from key sectors, such as education, for the benefit of an opacity which benefits a few. However, it is in the classrooms that the future of Senegal is being played out. Without quality education, we condemn an entire generation to exile or insecurity.
Senegalese youth must no longer be a lever for politicians, but the main actor in the endogenous development of our country. For too long, young people have been exploited for electoral promises or empty speeches. It is time to give them back their dignity and their power: to build their future themselves, here in Senegal. This requires education that liberates minds, which trains critical citizens and innovative entrepreneurs, capable of transforming our local resources into lasting wealth. Our young people are not future voters, but builders of today.
To give our youth the keys to their future, solutions exist. First, reform school programs to integrate practical skills: digital, entrepreneurship, modern agriculture. These subjects must be taught from secondary school, in partnership with the private sector for certification training. Then, guarantee transparency on the use of budgets allocated to education. Each franc must be traced and published online, with citizen monitoring committees in each region to ensure that the money reaches the classes. Finally, involve communities in the management of schools. Parents, teachers and students must co-construct local educational projects, via “Citizen Schools” or neighborhood libraries, so that education truly serves everyone.
To leaders, I say: education is not an expense, it is an investment. To teachers, I remind you: you are the invisible heroes of this country, and we support you. To parents and young people, I appeal: demand an education that prepares you to succeed, not to survive. Together, let’s make the Senegalese school a springboard, not a trap.
Educated youth is free youth. Let’s give our children and our students the tools to build the Senegal of tomorrow – a sovereign, competitive and just Senegal. Education is our most powerful weapon against opacity and injustice. Let’s use it.
Samba Kara NDIAYE
Président du Parti NADEMS
