Dakar, 19 September 2025 – How can numbers change lives? From 23 to 25 September, leaders from seven West African countries will gather in Dakar to answer that question.
Hosted at the Azalaï Hotel, the high-level regional forum on the demographic dividend is organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Bank, with support from Senegal’s Ministry of Economy, Planning and Cooperation.
The event brings together policymakers, parliamentarians and experts from the seven SWEDD+ countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, The Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Togo. Together, they are considering one central question: how to use numbers and data to improve people’s lives—especially those of young people and women—and to increase investments in youth, the driving force of the demographic dividend?
About SWEDD+
Launched in 2015 with World Bank and UNFPA support, the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend Project (SWEDD) is now entering a new phase, known as SWEDD+, and includes seven member countries, ECOWAS and ECCAS. It places girls’ education, health, gender equality and women’s empowerment at the heart of its priorities. The premise is simple: invest in young people today to secure growth tomorrow.
Data That Delivers
At the heart of the forum are the National Demographic Dividend Observatories (ONDD), which transform raw numbers into policy tools. Their work includes:
Demographic profiles that map how generations produce, consume and support one another across the life cycle;
Studies highlighting the hidden economic value of unpaid domestic work;
A Demographic Dividend Monitoring Index (DDMI/DDGI) to track progress, with a sharp lens on gender gaps;
Budgeting tools that help governments channel spending where it matters most.
From Statistics to Action
The forum goes beyond presentations. Panels with parliamentarians, ministers and regional partners will discuss how to translate evidence into laws, budgets and strategies that directly benefit citizens.
For Senegal and its neighbors, this is a pivotal moment: using data not just to describe Africa’s demographic future, but to shape it – in line with the African Union’s roadmap and Agenda 2063.
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Media Contact:
Emmanuelle Landais Lopez, Media & communication Specialist SWEDD+
UNFPA, West and Central Africa Regional Office
Mail: landaislopez@unfpa.org
