Sénégal Waqf HAW PNAMVR Convention: Urban Development Financing

• The Haute Autorité du Waqf (HAW) and the Programme national d’aménagement et de modernisation des villes religieuses (PNAMVR) signed a partnership convention on September 17, 2026, in Dakar.
• This agreement aims to mobilize Waqf, an Islamic finance mechanism, as a primary instrument for funding the development and modernization of Senegal's religious cities.
• The convention, valid for three years and renewable, establishes a joint Technical Committee to select, monitor, and evaluate projects.
• Key objectives include promoting innovative Waqf-based financing, fostering transparent shared governance, and creating high-impact religious and community investment hubs.
• The partnership seeks to integrate Waqf as a fundamental pillar of public urban development policy for spiritually significant cities, diversifying funding sources for territorial growth.

This positions the Haute Autorité du Waqf as a central player in shaping the future of these communities, utilizing a unique form of financement islamique Sénégal.

The Haute Autorité du Waqf (HAW) and the Programme national d’aménagement et de modernisation des villes religieuses (PNAMVR) recently formalized a significant collaboration aimed at bolstering urban development in Senegal's religious centers. On Thursday, September 17, 2026, in Dakar, the two entities signed a partnership convention, establishing a framework for leveraging Waqf as a crucial financing instrument. This pivotal Sénégal Waqf HAW PNAMVR convention was officially endorsed by Amdy Moustapha Mbacké, the National Coordinator of the PNAMVR, and Dr Ahmed Lamine Athie, the Director General of the HAW.

This strategic PNAMVR partenariat is designed to harness the power of Waqf, an established mechanism within Islamic finance, which involves the enduring donation of assets or resources for charitable or public utility objectives. The overarching goal is to transform Waqf into a primary driver for funding projects related to planning, modernization, and sustainable growth across Senegal's religious cities. The agreement, set for an initial term of three years with provisions for renewal, mandates the formation of a joint Technical Committee. This committee will be instrumental in the selection of eligible projects, overseeing their technical and financial progress, and conducting regular evaluations of the outcomes achieved.

The convention establishes a robust operational framework for integrating Waqf into public policy for urban development. At its core, the initiative seeks to promote innovative financing mechanisms rooted in the Waqf model, thereby enhancing the financial autonomy of development projects. A key aspect of this framework is the commitment to fostering shared governance, ensuring collaboration among public, religious, and financial stakeholders, all while upholding principles of transparency. This approach aims to support the establishment of religious and community investment hubs that promise substantial social impact, including the creation of employment opportunities, generation of income, and delivery of essential services to local populations.

Beyond direct project funding, the partnership outlines two complementary strategic axes. The first focuses on the perpetuation of religious heritage, achieved through the active promotion of spiritual knowledge and values. The second, and perhaps most transformative, aims to solidify the Waqf model as an integral pillar of Senegal's public urban development policy, specifically for cities with a spiritual vocation. This positions the Haute Autorité du Waqf as a central player in shaping the future of these communities, utilizing a unique form of financement islamique Sénégal.

This convention Waqf Sénégal emerges within a broader national context characterized by an active search for alternative and diversified financing mechanisms to support territorial development. It underscores a deliberate strategy to broaden the funding base for public and community projects, increasingly drawing upon internal resources. Amdy Moustapha Mbacké, the National Coordinator of the PNAMVR, hailed the agreement as a critical milestone in securing endogenous resources for religious cities, emphasizing that Waqf represents not merely a financial instrument but a profound vision of solidarity and sustainability for communities.

Dr Ahmed Lamine Athie, Director General of the Haute Autorité du Waqf, articulated an even grander vision, framing this PNAMVR partenariat as a key component in structuring comprehensive territorial development. He stressed the ambition to establish Waqf as a fundamental lever for regional growth, highlighting the shared commitment to harmonizing spirituality, modernity, and financial independence. Through this innovative mécanisme finance islamique, the partnership effectively bridges community resource mobilization, project financing, and urban development, offering a targeted application for Senegal's religiously significant urban centers. The développement villes religieuses Waqf initiative is poised to redefine how these cities grow and thrive.

This partnership formalizes and expands the role of Waqf as a public policy instrument for urban development in Senegal. Lawyers advising on project finance, urban planning, or Islamic endowments must understand this new framework, its implications for funding structures, property rights, and compliance requirements for entities participating in or benefiting from these projects.

Source: Reporting based on original dispatches from Senegal.