Dakar 2026: a legacy shaped by people and communities
As the first Olympic sporting event held in Africa, Dakar 2026 is making history. But its significance goes beyond this historic milestone. These Youth Olympic Games are designed to create lasting value for Senegal and across Africa, opening up opportunities for young people and investing in skills, communities and the future of sport.
That legacy is already taking shape, above all through people: more than 300 young professionals have gained skills and Games-delivery experience, while more than one million schoolchildren have been reached through sports and education programmes. Communities and students are also set to benefit from upgraded sports facilities and the Youth Olympic Village, designed for continued use after the Games.
This is what legacy means to me. Not only buildings, but people. Skills. Experience. Opportunities. And a new generation ready to take African sport forward.
“We wanted Games that were beneficial, resource-conscious and sustainable,” said Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, President of the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee and the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSS), speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the Games. “We do not want to leave a burden; we want to leave a legacy.”
Investing in people
One of Dakar 2026’s central ambitions has been to build expertise that can support the future of sport and major events on the continent.
Designed by the IOC and implemented together with the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee, the Dakar 2026 Learning Academy combines training and hands-on experience in Games delivery. Officially launched in May 2025, it has trained more than 300 young professionals, including participants from 21 African National Olympic Committees.
Local talent was also on full display during the Opening Ceremony. A total of 1,115 performers took part, alongside around 100 Senegalese craftspeople and creative professionals. Rooted in Senegal’s tradition of teranga – its renowned spirit of hospitality – the ceremony celebrated the country’s culture and creativity, while looking ahead to the aspirations of a new generation.
Dakar 2026’s educational programmes have also benefitted schools and communities. Through the Brevet Olympique Civique et Sportif, more than one million schoolchildren have been reached, exceeding the initial target of 900,000. Jeunesse en Jeux, meanwhile, is targeting 300,000 young people through sports, cultural and educational activities.
Through its Panda Pack Project, Alibaba aims to reach 350,000+ children across 850 schools while leaving a long-term digital legacy by transferring Games cloud infrastructure to Senegal.
Bringing sport closer to communities
Investments in sports facilities and the Youth Olympic Village are designed to provide benefits beyond the Games.
The Youth Olympic Village, located on the campus of Amadou Mahtar Mbow University in Diamniadio, will return to university use after the Games, providing students with improved accommodation and campus infrastructure.
MoveNow Dakar, developed by Worldwide Olympic Partner Allianz with the IOC, Dakar 2026 and Sport Impact, is supporting sports participation and inclusion through five local community centres in Senegal, providing equipment, organised activities and access to sport.
Promoting more responsible practices
More responsible practices have been integrated into Games delivery.
Organisers have been encouraging people to use Dakar's public transport network, including the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and the Train Express Régional, which was extended ahead of the Games to connect Diamniadio to Blaise Diagne International Airport.
A waste management plan aims to increase reuse and recycling, with equipment and materials also intended for reuse or redistribution after the Games.
In 2025, Senegalese companies accounted for 56 per cent of the Organising Committee’s committed procurement expenditure, directing Games-related opportunities towards businesses in the local economy.
Games for young people, by young people
For Dakar 2026 Organising Committee President Ndiaye, an important measure of success will be the sense of ownership young people feel towards the Games and their legacy. As he told Senegalese broadcaster RTS, he hopes they will remember “that we did it. That we did it with them. And that it is their achievement.”
And as IOC President Coventry said in her speech at the Opening Ceremony:
“What makes these Games even more special is that young people have been at the heart of everything. Not just young athletes, but the young people of Senegal who have helped bring these Games to life. With your ideas. Your creativity. Your energy. These really are Games for the youth, by the youth!”
Find out more in the Dakar 2026 Sustainability, Impact and Legacy Annual Reports for 2024 and 2025.