Senegal's Waqf Authority Signs Agreement to Fund Religious Cities

The Haute Autorité du Waqf (HAW) and the Programme national d’aménagement et de modernisation des villes religieuses (PNAMVR) in Senegal recently signed a three-year, renewable convention to leverage waqf funds for the development and modernization of the country's religious cities. This significant agreement aims to mobilize waqf, or Islamic endowments, as a key financing mechanism to address the evolving administrative and infrastructural needs of prominent religious centers such as Touba, Médina Baye, Ndiassane, and Popenguine. The convention establishes a joint technical committee tasked with selecting, monitoring, and evaluating projects, ensuring a structured approach to development. It also seeks to foster financing mechanisms based on waqf principles, enhance coordination among public, religious, and financial stakeholders, and support social impact investments to adapt infrastructure and services to current needs, while preserving religious heritage.