As a landlocked country, Mali historically relies on volatile, expensive road networks through coastal neighbors. This river corridor establishes a direct, sovereign maritime route to the Atlantic Ocean, drastically lowering logistics costs. Once fully operational, goods and fuel will be shipped from Saint-Louis to Ambidédi, where they can transition onto the upgraded road networks (via Kayes) or the Dakar-Bamako railway for final transport to Bamako, saving up to 60% in traditional transport costs
Description
The Senegal River Waterway Project is an $800 million initiative aimed at transforming the Senegal River into a 560-mile (900 km) commercial shipping highway and announced in 2026. The ambitious project brings together Mali, Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea under a joint framework. Work includes
- Dredging & Navigation: SOGENAV (the operational arm of OMVS) is tasked with dredging the river and channel marking to allow for year-round, high-capacity barge navigation.
-Infrastructure: The project involves the rehabilitation of existing landing sites, constructing river ports, and building modern logistics terminals.