In 2004, DID opened a regional office in Dakar, Senegal, to better serve French-speaking countries in West and Central Africa. For nearly 20 years, through their in-depth understanding of the region, collaboration with local development stakeholders, and close relationships with project beneficiaries, our team in Senegal has worked to build inclusive finance and improve the economic empowerment of people in West and Central Africa.
Local inclusive finance expertise
The Dakar office includes 5 national experts and close to 30 collaborators. The team's mandates include technical support for inclusive finance institutions in the region, rural and agricultural financing, financial education, financing and support for business owners, governance and digital finance. To fulfil these mandates, our Dakar office works closely with mutual aid networks, inclusive finance institutions, their professional associations, as well as regulatory authorities and the ministers responsible for the inclusive finance sector in West and Central Africa.
A team with a large reach
Since 2004, our colleagues in Dakar have carried out nearly 100 projects in 14 different countries and has worked for a number of backers, including Global Affairs Canada, the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), Lux Développement, Agence française de développement (AFD), German development bank KfW, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Belgian development agency Enabel, the Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation and other international development agencies. Together, we work to enact concrete change and reduce poverty, improve food security and gender equality, strengthen economic growth and fight against climate change.