The city of "Mbossé Coumba Djiguène" resonated with the rhythm of the local economy on Thursday, February 5, 2026. A Regional Development Committee (CRD), chaired by the Governor of the region, Oumar Mamadou Baldé (formerly Amadou Moctar Watt), was held in the presence of Ndèye Fatou Guédel Mbodj, General Administrator of FONGIP, prefects, and key stakeholders from the region.

FONGIP at the heart of the regional hubs

For the coordinator of the Priority Investment Guarantee Fund (FONGIP), the choice of Kaolack was a strategic logical one. “Regional hubs are among our priorities at FONGIP. We did it in Thiès and Touba, and today in Kaolack, tomorrow we will do it in Ziguinchor. We believe that FONGIP, which is the only guarantee instrument of the Senegalese State, should be known by all Senegalese without distinction. Everyone should be able to benefit from these financing guarantees. The purpose of the Regional Development Center (CRD) is to explain FONGIP's missions and how we can support these entrepreneurs.”

Regarding the peanut campaign, for example, 900 million in funding was provided to support operators, but also to explain the mechanisms of Fongip.

A 5 billion euro fund for project promoters

The major announcement at this Regional Development Council meeting was the allocation of 5 billion FCFA for entrepreneurs in the region. Ndèye Fatou Guédel Mbodj justified this amount by citing the strong economic potential of the peanut basin.

However, she was keen to clarify the exact role of her institution: FONGIP does not provide direct financing, but rather acts as a guarantor. "The bank provides the financing, and we are the guarantors. To benefit from these financing guarantees, projects must be bankable. The project promoter must have at least 10% personal investment."

The expectations of the economic world: interest rates and transformation

The Governor of Kaolack welcomed this economic development initiative, emphasizing that this Regional Development Council (CRD) helped to highlight the fund's activities on the ground. The discussions allowed local businesses to voice their key concerns.

“We gave the floor to economic operators, and the discussions were marked by objectivity and clarity. As a result, we were able to record a set of expectations and concerns from these operators, which shows that despite all the efforts currently being made by the public authorities, the need for financing is still felt. At this level, what they want is for interest rates to be lowered more and more, because sometimes certain interest rates are not favorable to their businesses. They also want support in the context of production and processing activities, with the creation of added value.”

This meeting marks a key step for the Kaolack entrepreneurial network, which now hopes that these guarantees will facilitate access to more affordable credit to boost local production.