The digital as the weapon against illegal migration

Seynabou Gaye Touré

President of the Regional Council of Tivaouane, Senegal

The Departmental Council of Tivaouane has launched an innovative program to familiarise young people and women from the eighteen communes in the department with digital professions. This unprecedented local initiative is seen as a concrete response from the territories against the phenomenon of  illegal migration, as well as a credible alternative to rural exodus and youth unemployment. 

We have observed that, despite the presence of industries such as ICS (Senegal Chemical Industries) and GCO (Grande Côte Operations)our young people are unable to access them due to a lack of vocational training. Yet digital technology today opens up immense opportunities, both here in Senegal and around the world. 

Aware that the high cost of training represents a major obstacle, the institution has committed to directly funding these programmes for young people, while organising community-based sessions for women within their localities. The aim is twofold: to provide skills adapted to the labour market and to restore hope to a generation tempted by the Atlantic’s pirogues. 

For many young people, this initiative represents a turning point. “I wanted to go to Spain, like many of my friends. But today, I believe I can succeed here, with the digital”, says Mamadou, a participant from Meckhé. 

Beyond professional integration, the programme aims to create a genuine digital ecosystem in Tivaouane. It seeks not only to train technicians capable of meeting the needs of local industries, and to encourage the emergence of digital entrepreneurs developing solutions suited to the realities of their territory.

I must insist that the digital is not only a training  tool, but also a way of fixing the youth in their communities and to value their talents, used for their local development.

Tivouane’s experience could also inspire other territories. The next Dakar Forum, dedicated to the challenges of development and inclusion, could be an excellent opportunity of sharing this initiative and opening a national debate on the role of communities in the fight against illegal migration.