The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of many branches of the Senegalese economy and their lack of. There are many sectors hardly affected by the health crisis, except for digital, which has shown resilience.
From tourism to catering to the transport and small trade sectors, almost all have been affected by the effects of the pandemic. If there is one sector that has been successful, it is obviously the digital sector. It has shown resilience. It illustrates the continuation of activities such as webinars, distance learning in universities, videoconferences… Despite the persistence of the crisis, players operating in the digital sector (start-ups, technology companies, telecommunications, etc.) have quietly continued to carry out their activities.
regarding the crucial role played by information technologies (telework, webinars, etc.) in the continuity of certain activities, digital must no longer be seen as an accessory but as the backside in the definition of public development policies. The promotion of the digital economy in recovery plans is more important as the African Development Bank makes it a priesthood. On the side-lines of the opening of the AfDB’s 2020 Annual Meetings on 26 August 2020, Ms Nialé KABA, Minister of Planning and Development, President of the AfDB’s Board of Governors, noted that beyond its harmful effects, The pandemic is forcing us to take up the challenge of digitizing our economies.
To this, she said, we must be able to make the most of this digitalisation. In view of the interest in using this technology, she encouraged Bank Management to provide substantial support to African countries individually and collectively to strengthen national and regional digital infrastructure for greater connectivity. In Senegal, through the Plan Senegal Emergent (PSE), our country has set a new course by focusing on the structural transformation of its economy to achieve strong, sustained, and sustainable growth.
From this observation, the State has implemented the Digital Senegal Strategy 2016-2025, in which it reiterates its commitment to make digital technology a key sector in the country’s economic and social development. It is an essential lever for increasing productivity gains and increasing the competitiveness of all sectors of the economy through the supply of digital goods and services. However, the sub-sector is facing several challenges, including universal access to the Internet, even though the Covid-19 crisis has shown the importance of this sector