Vélingara: SODEFITEX at the heart of the economic sovereignty strategy

Visiting Vélingara, President Bassirou Diomaye FAYE marked a highlight of his economic tour at the SODEFITEX factory. A step which highlights the central role of the cotton sector in the dynamics of territorial development, wealth creation and consolidation of Senegal’s economic sovereignty.

Through this sequence, the Head of State highlighted the strategic role of the cotton sector in the national economy, particularly in rural areas. With more than fifty years of experience, this sector constitutes a structuring pillar, contributing to the security of income, the strengthening of food security and the stability of territories.

The figures reflect the scale of its impact: more than 16,000 producers supervised, more than 20,000 hectares cultivated and nearly 500,000 people who depend directly or indirectly on it. Added to this are between 400 and 700 direct jobs depending on the countryside, including 270 permanent ones, as well as an annual redistribution estimated at 3.5 billion FCFA for the benefit of producers and stakeholders in the rural world.

Beyond the performances, this visit illustrates an assumed political orientation: building sustainable development based on value-creating sectors as close as possible to the production areas. In this dynamic, SODEFITEX stands out as a lever for economic sovereignty, for promoting the employment of young people and women, but also for national industrialization.

The ongoing revival of the sector also opens up new perspectives. With production estimated at more than 25,000 tonnes of seed cotton and more than 10,000 tonnes of fiber cotton for the 2025-2026 campaign, the objective of 100,000 tonnes by 2030 appears to be a structuring milestone. An ambition based on the consolidation of productive, industrial and social bases, an essential condition for sustainable prosperity of the territories.