Aboubakry Niane: Defends Manuel Procédure Marchés Publics Sénégal Amid Inquiry

• Former Director General Abdou Aziz Diouf is under parliamentary scrutiny for signing contested contracts for the "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" program.
• Diouf initially signed the 2025-2026 contracts in April 2025 but later sought to terminate them after an alert regarding the procedural manual.
• Former Director of Financing Aboubakry Niane defended the program's procedural manual, citing state subsidies, student contributions, and World Bank recommendations.
• The ARCOP inquiry cell, through Seynabou Samb Tosco, deemed the "avis à manifestation d'intérêt" used for the 2025 contract unsuitable for computer procurement.
• The parliamentary inquiry is examining the 48 billion CFA francs "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" program, which has been in place since 2017.

Lawyers and compliance officers advising on public procurement in Senegal must recognize this heightened oversight, as the dispute underscores the risks of official liability and challenges to contracts if procedures are not rigorously followed or are deemed inadequate.

A parliamentary inquiry commission in Senegal is currently scrutinizing the management of the "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" program, focusing on contested contracts. Abdou Aziz Diouf, the former Director General of Higher Education, appeared before the commission to address his role in signing contracts for the 2025-2026 period in April 2025. Despite acknowledging his responsibility, Diouf claimed he did not detect anomalies within the system, which had been operational for eight years prior to his arrival in November.

Diouf attributed his initial oversight to the established nature of the program and the high volume of documents requiring daily signatures within the ministry, also citing his trust in colleagues. However, he later identified the procedural manual governing these markets as problematic, a realization he stated came only after an alert from Mame Penda Ba, who assumed her position in July. Following this, Diouf issued instructions for the termination of the contracts with the suppliers.

Aboubakry Niane, who previously served as the Director of Financing, defended the existence and use of the procedural manual for the "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" program. He refuted any suggestions that he had pressured his superior to sign the contracts. Niane presented several justifications for the manual, including the state's financial subsidies for the program, the partial contributions made by students that entitled them to demand accountability regarding the computers, and recommendations previously issued by the World Bank.

Niane clarified that while the World Bank had offered recommendations, the "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" initiative was fundamentally a project of the State of Senegal, not directly managed by the international body. He distinguished this from the Programme de gouvernance et de financement de l’enseignement supérieur axé sur les résultats (PGF sup), a separate program signed between 2011 and 2012. The PGF sup, which received $121 million from the World Bank and $5 million from the State, totaling $126 million, supported university infrastructure, the Directorate General of Higher Education, Anaqsup, and university performance contracts, including objectives for distance learning and information technology use. Niane also noted that the World Bank had previously advised on avoiding administrative complexities, free provision, and poor quality equipment when supplying students, and had invited officials to negotiations where an expert, Mme Sow, proposed a strategy on December 7.

Further scrutiny of the program, which has involved 48 billion CFA francs since 2017, came from Seynabou Samb Tosco, the coordinator of ARCOP's inquiry cell. During a separate hearing, Tosco concluded that the "avis à manifestation d’intérêt" (expression of interest) utilized for the 2025 contract was not an appropriate procurement method for the acquisition of computers. This finding underscores concerns regarding the suitability of the procurement procedures employed for the large-scale program.

The ongoing parliamentary examination into the "Aboubakry Niane défense manuel procédure marchés publics Sénégal" highlights a broader focus on transparency and adherence to proper procurement protocols within public spending.

This parliamentary inquiry into the "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" program carries significant implications for public procurement in Senegal. The dispute, centered on the contestation of contracts and the procedural manual, underscores the critical importance of robust internal controls and meticulous due diligence for all government initiatives. Even programs with a long operational history, such as this eight-year-old scheme, are subject to intense scrutiny regarding their procedural integrity and the validity of their contracts.

Lawyers and compliance officers advising on public procurement in Senegal must recognize this heightened oversight, as the dispute underscores the risks of official liability and challenges to contracts if procedures are not rigorously followed or are deemed inadequate. The expert opinion from ARCOP regarding the unsuitability of the procurement method for the 2025 contract further emphasizes the need for clear, appropriate, and legally sound procurement strategies to mitigate future risks and ensure compliance.

Lawyers and compliance officers advising on public procurement in Senegal should note the heightened scrutiny of procedural manuals and contract validity, as evidenced by this parliamentary inquiry. The dispute highlights the importance of robust internal controls and due diligence, even for long-standing programs, to mitigate risks of official liability and contract challenges.

Source: Original reporting via Senego