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    AI by country · West Africa

    AI in Senegal: the rules, the readiness and where to start

    Last checked: 29 October 2026

    What should a company in Senegal know before starting with AI?

    Senegal has no AI law as of 29 October 2026. The rule that applies is Law 2008-12 on personal data, enforced by the Commission de Protection des Données Personnelles (CDP). It requires a declaration or authorization before processing, bars decisions with legal effect based only on automated profiling, and controls transfers abroad. A revised data law has been in preparation for years and was not adopted when we checked.

    At a glance

    Senegal at a glance

    Key facts about Senegal
    Data protection lawLaw 2008-12 of 25 January 2008, in force; a revision is in draft
    RegulatorCDP (Commission de Protection des Données Personnelles)
    AI policyNational AI strategy and roadmap to 2028 (2023). No dedicated AI law as of 29 October 2026
    Time zoneGMT, UTC+0 (India is 5.5 hours ahead)
    CurrencyXOF (West African CFA franc)
    Business languageFrench and Wolof

    Why now

    Why Senegal is worth watching

    Each point links to the document it comes from.

    • Senegal's national AI strategy and roadmap to 2028 proposes training close to 90,000 people in data science and AI by 2028.[2]

    • The strategy calls for a flexible rulebook first, through guidelines and ministerial orders, and plans to define which AI uses must carry out an impact assessment.[2]

    • President Bassirou Diomaye Faye launched the New Deal Technologique digital strategy in February 2025, with an initial roadmap of about 1,105 billion CFA francs.[4]

    • A Gates Foundation partnership of more than $10 million signed in September 2025 includes an AI hub for health and agriculture.[4]

    • Senegal presented a Senegal AI Factory project in Tokyo in August 2026, aimed at startups, researchers, companies and public bodies.[5]

    The rules

    The rules that matter for AI

    What each law or policy means when you build or buy an AI system.

    Law 2008-12 of 25 January 2008 on the protection of personal data

    In force2008Processing needs a declaration to the CDP, and only the CDP's receipt allows it to start (article 18). Biometric data, genetic and health research data and national ID numbers need prior authorization (article 20). Consent is the main basis, with exceptions such as a contract or legal duty (article 33). No decision with legal effect may rest only on automated processing meant to profile a person, except in contract cases where the person could present observations (article 48).[1]

    Law 2008-12: transfers abroad and sanctions

    In force2008Data may go only to a country with a sufficient level of protection, and the CDP must be informed before any transfer (article 49). Otherwise a transfer is allowed only if it is occasional, not massive and the person expressly consents, or under listed needs such as a contract (article 50). After a warning and formal notice, the CDP can withdraw an authorization or impose a fine of 1 to 100 million CFA francs (articles 29 and 30).[1]

    Revised personal data protection bill

    Draft2024The CDP began revising Law 2008-12 in 2017. A press report says the Supreme Court gave a favourable opinion in 2022 and a workshop met in October 2024 to finalise the bill, with Council of Ministers adoption still pending. We found no record of adoption. Status unclear as of 29 October 2026.[3]

    Where AI fits first

    Where AI fits first

    Health care

    Triage support and summaries of patient records, with health professionals in charge.

    Article 43 lists when health data may be processed, including with consent or for medical care under a professional bound by secrecy. Health research data needs CDP authorization (article 20).[1]

    Agriculture

    Advice to farmers in Wolof and French, and yield or weather forecasting.

    The AI hub in the Gates Foundation partnership is described as focused on health and agriculture.[4]

    Banking and mobile money

    Fraud checks and customer service chatbots in French and Wolof.

    A credit decision taken only by a model can fall under article 48. Keep a way for customers to present their observations.[1]

    Public administration

    Assistants that help people with administrative procedures.

    The New Deal Technologique aims to digitise public services and modernise the administration.[4]

    Your first steps

    Your first steps

    1. Declare each AI use that processes personal data to the CDP and wait for the receipt before going live (article 18).
    2. Check whether your project uses biometric, genetic, health research or national ID data. If so, ask for CDP authorization first (article 20).
    3. Inform the CDP before sending data to an AI service abroad, and check the destination's level of protection (article 49).
    4. Do not let a model alone take decisions with legal effect on a person. Add human review and a way to respond (article 48).
    5. Put a written contract in place with every processor, as article 39 requires.
    6. Test any model on French and Wolof content before using it with customers.
    7. Follow the revised data protection bill, which may change these duties.

    AI services for Senegal

    AI consulting and development for teams in Senegal

    We work remotely with companies in Senegal, in your time zone, and keep your data under the rules described above.

    AI agents and automation

    Agents that finish multi-step work across your tools, with people approving what matters.
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    Document Q&A (RAG)

    Answers from your own documents, with the source shown for every answer.
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    AI governance and data protection

    Policies, review steps and audit trails that fit your local data law.
    Learn more

    Software and cloud engineering

    Web apps, integrations and cloud platforms built around your AI use case.
    Learn more

    How we work with you

    How we work with you

    We work remotely with clients worldwide, in the client's time zone. Senegal is on UTC+0 and India on UTC+5:30, a 5.5 hour gap. Taking a 09:00 to 17:00 day in Dakar and 09:30 to 18:30 in India, the overlap is 4 hours, from 09:00 to 13:00 Dakar time.

    Questions

    Common questions about AI in Senegal

    Does Senegal have an AI law?

    No, not as of 29 October 2026. The national AI strategy recommends starting with flexible guidelines and ministerial orders. Law 2008-12 on personal data is the main rule for AI today.

    Do I need the CDP's approval before using AI?

    If the AI processes personal data, you need at least a declaration, and you can start only after the CDP's receipt. Some data types, such as biometric data, need prior authorization.

    Can I use a foreign AI service with customer data?

    Only to a country with a sufficient level of protection, and after informing the CDP. Otherwise the transfer must be occasional and not massive with the person's express consent, or meet a listed need such as a contract.

    What sanctions can the CDP impose?

    After a warning and formal notice, it can withdraw an authorization or impose a fine of 1 to 100 million CFA francs. In urgent cases it can suspend or ban a processing operation. Decisions can be appealed to the Conseil d'Etat.

    Complimentary tools

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    Read next

    Sources

    Sources

    Facts checked on 29 October 2026. Numbers in square brackets above match this list.
    1. [1] CDP (Commission de Protection des Données Personnelles), 2008-01-25. Loi n° 2008-12 du 25 janvier 2008 portant sur la protection des données…(cdp.sn)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Loi n° 2008-12 du 25 janvier 2008 portant sur la protection des données à caractère personnel. Law text in French, downloaded as a PDF from the CDP's legislative texts page and read in full. Used for articles 18, 20, 29 to 31, 33, 39, 43, 48, 49 and 50. The reading is ours.

    2. [2] Ministry of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy (via OECD.AI), undated. Stratégie nationale et feuille de route du Sénégal sur l'intelligence a…(oecd.ai)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Stratégie nationale et feuille de route du Sénégal sur l'intelligence artificielle à l'horizon 2028 (synthèse). Primary summary document, read via the PDF linked from the OECD.AI page. Used for the 90,000 training goal, the flexible regulatory approach and the impact assessment action. Drafting began on 17 May 2023 and ran four months. OECD.AI lists it as published in 2023; the document states no publication date, so none is given here.

    3. [3] Osiris (citing Le Techobservateur), 2024-10-03. Mise à niveau du projet de loi sur la protection des données personnell…(osiris.sn)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Mise à niveau du projet de loi sur la protection des données personnelles. Press report. Used for the revision history from 2017, the 2022 Supreme Court opinion and the October 2024 workshop. We found no later official news of adoption.

    4. [4] We Are Tech Africa, 2025-09-25. Sénégal : la Fondation Gates injecte plus de 10 millions USD dans le Ne…(wearetech.africa)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Sénégal : la Fondation Gates injecte plus de 10 millions USD dans le New Deal technologique. Press report. Used for the February 2025 launch, the roadmap cost, the goals and the AI hub for health and agriculture.

    5. [5] allAfrica (citing Senego), 2026-08-03. Sénégal : le pays mise sur l'intelligence artificielle avec le lancemen…(fr.allafrica.com)
      Full title and what we used it for

      Sénégal : le pays mise sur l'intelligence artificielle avec le lancement de la Senegal AI Factory. Press report. Used for the Senegal AI Factory presentation in Tokyo and its stated aims. It gives no budget or partners.

    6. [6] CDP, 2026-10-29. CDP website(cdp.sn)
      Full title and what we used it for

      CDP website. Primary, accessed on this date. Used to confirm the CDP is an independent administrative authority set up by Law 2008-12 with eleven members, and that it lists Decree 2008-721 of 30 June 2008 as the implementing decree.

    This is general information, not legal advice. Senegal's data protection law is under revision and its AI rules are still policy, not law. Check your plans with a qualified Senegalese lawyer. Facts were checked on 29 October 2026.

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