Sénégal Commission Enquête: Probes 'Un Étudiant Un Ordinateur' Program

• A Senegalese parliamentary commission began investigating the "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" program on October 5, 2026, probing its governance, financing, and procurement.
• The ARCOP identified significant irregularities in 2025 contracts worth 5.7085 billion CFA francs for 25,000 computers, citing non-compliance with the Public Procurement Code.
• Initial audits revealed that the program was not included in procurement plans and an unsuitable tendering method was used for computer acquisition.
• The inquiry extends beyond 2025, examining how practices from World Bank-funded operations continued after the state assumed full financial responsibility in 2016-2017.
• The commission aims to establish a precise chronology of decisions and clarify responsibilities for administrative irregularities or governance failures.

The ARCOP's findings indicate that these agreements, valued at 5.7085 billion CFA francs excluding taxes, were executed in disregard of several fundamental requirements of the Public Procurement Code.

A parliamentary inquiry commission within Senegal's National Assembly has launched a comprehensive investigation into the "Un étudiant, un ordinateur" (One Student, One Computer) program. The probe, which commenced its initial hearings on October 5, 2026, is designed to scrutinize the program's governance, financial arrangements, and execution over several years, extending beyond the specific contracts signed in 2025.

The commission began by hearing testimony from key figures, including Mame Penda Ba, the former director of higher education establishment financing; Seynabou Samb Tosco, coordinator of the ARCOP's inquiry cell; and Mamadou Cellou Diallo, who previously headed the program's management office. Further auditions involving other current and former officials are slated to continue. The initial proceedings suggest the significant scope of the issues under examination.

The parliamentary inquiry aims to reconstruct the program's governance, financial structure, procurement and execution mechanisms, and the chain of accountability, extending beyond just the 2025 agreements. It seeks to establish a precise timeline of decisions and differentiate between administrative irregularities, governance failures, and other potential forms of responsibility. The commission's president has underscored the impartial, adversarial, and thoroughly documented nature of their investigative approach.

A pivotal piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation is a report from the Autorité de Régulation de la Commande Publique (ARCOP), Senegal's public procurement regulatory authority. This report has already identified significant shortcomings in the procurement and management of contracts concluded in 2025 for the acquisition of 25,000 computers. These agreements, made with Computer Land and Compusys International, are valued at 5.7085 billion CFA francs, exclusive of taxes.

The ARCOP classified these transactions as public supply contracts and determined that they were executed in disregard of several fundamental requirements stipulated in the Public Procurement Code. This finding highlights potential legal risks associated with the program's operational procedures, particularly concerning the tendering process and contract execution.

The issues identified are not confined to the 2025 contracts alone. The ARCOP's examination reveals a pattern of practices that have persisted since the Senegalese state took over the program's financing in 2016-2017, following the conclusion of World Bank assistance. Originally established in 2012 as part of the Higher Education Governance and Financing Project with World Bank support, the program continued under national resources, but without a complete re-evaluation of its legal and administrative framework, according to the ARCOP's conclusions.

The parliamentary commission is particularly focused on understanding how procedures designed for an international funding context continued to be applied after the shift to national resources. The ARCOP's findings, corroborated by testimony from Seynabou Samb Tosco, coordinator of its inquiry cell, indicate that the program was not included in official procurement plans. Furthermore, the use of a call for expressions of interest for computer acquisition was deemed inappropriate given the identifiable and quantifiable nature of the operation, which involves a known and recurrent need.

This continuity of practices, despite a fundamental change in funding mechanisms, is a central point of inquiry. The commission is seeking to determine when responsible officials were informed of the necessity to revise the program's operational framework and what controls were exercised by relevant authorities. The available testimonies and documents are expected to shed light on these critical questions, revealing the extent of systemic flaws in public contract management within the higher education sector.

The ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the Sénégal commission enquête programme Un étudiant un ordinateur signifies a critical effort to enhance transparency and accountability in public spending. By meticulously examining the program's history, from its World Bank-backed inception to its state-funded continuation, the commission aims to identify not only specific irregularities but also broader systemic issues in public procurement for higher education.

This investigation holds significant implications for future public contracts in Senegal, particularly concerning adherence to the Public Procurement Code. The commission's commitment to an impartial and documented process underscores the gravity with which these alleged violations are being treated, potentially leading to reforms that ensure stricter compliance and better governance in the allocation of state resources for educational initiatives.

This parliamentary inquiry and the ARCOP's findings highlight significant legal risks for companies involved in public procurement in Senegal. Lawyers and compliance officers should review their clients' public contract procedures to ensure strict adherence to the Senegalese Public Procurement Code, particularly concerning tendering processes and contract execution, to mitigate exposure to investigations and penalties.

Source: Reporting based on Le Soleil disclosures.