Suez group, a french company, has been awarded a leasing contract by the government of Senegal for the management of the public service for the production and distribution of drinking water in the country.
The 15-year contract will supply an initial population of 7 million inhabitants with drinking water.
Through the contract, the Senegalese government is seeking to harness the expertise of the SUEZ Group to meet the drinking water needs of the country’s quickly growing population. Sufficient access to high-quality water is a key issue in Senegal and a priority in the Emerging Senegal Plan launched by President Macky Sall.
Senegal has created a new drinking water distribution company – Sen’Eau – with a majority of Senegalese shareholders (55%) to manage the contract. The agreement also provides for the integration by SUEZ of the 1,200 Senegalese professionals currently in practice. A career management support service will be created to continue developing up-and-coming talent, with special attention paid to young people and women.
According to Suez, an action plan aimed at providing water access for all, guaranteeing an excellent level of service, and ensuring sustainable performance will be implemented starting January 1, 2020.
READ: Water Projects in Morocco to receive funding from German Water company
A significant part of the plan will be dedicated to fostering innovation. A Research and Innovation Centre, set to open in Dakar in partnership with Senegalese universities, will subsequently play a role throughout the region.
SUEZ Chief Executive Officer, Bertrand Camus assured that the group will deploy innovative solutions to pilot all infrastructure facilities in real time and improve network performance.
“Our extensive international expertise in the production and distribution of drinking water, combined with the know-how of Senegalese professionals, will enable us to deliver the quality of services Senegalese families, entrepreneurs, and manufacturers have come to expect,” he said.
This contract builds upon SUEZ’s presence internationally and positions the Group as a key player in the distribution of drinking water in Africa. Present on the continent since the construction of the Sherbine drinking water plant in Egypt in 1948, SUEZ has built more than 500 drinking water and sanitation facilities that serve the majority of Africa’s capital cities and manages the drinking water and sanitation services of Greater Casablanca and Algiers.