Dakar: AfricUpdate – News Desk
From December 3 to 5, 2025, the Senegalese capital will become the epicenter of a global movement aimed at transforming Africa’s economic and technological landscape through artificial intelligence and blockchain. More than just a tech conference, the Nexten Summit 2025 positions itself as the launch event of a ten-year global initiative. It seeks to radically reshape Senegal’s economic trajectory and establish Dakar as Africa’s founding hub for innovation.
“Senegal is facing a difficult period, with 50% of the workforce unemployed or underemployed, 75% of jobs in the informal sector, and an 80% dependency on imports. We’re not coming with promises, but with concrete action,” said Madou Sylla, the event’s promoter. In response to this reality, Nexten proposes a bold, action-oriented approach. “Senegal doesn’t need more speeches or ill-suited foreign models. It needs to produce, process locally, and embrace a new economic and technological paradigm,” Sylla emphasised.
The three-day summit will reflect this practical focus. Day one will center on the concept of a “Smart State,” with AI-driven solutions to modernise public administration, education, healthcare, and precision agriculture. Day two will focus on business and blockchain, exploring tokenisation and digital tools to accelerate access to funding and open up new markets. The final day will connect the Senegalese diaspora with local needs through a startup pitch platform, complemented by mentorship and investment programs.
A key highlight of the summit will be the launch of NexCF, a groundbreaking tokenisation platform that will connect Senegalese project owners with over 300,000 global investors. “This platform will allow local governments, ministries, hospitals, and schools to raise funds without relying solely on banks or foreign aid,” said Sylla. But Nexten’s vision goes far beyond the summit itself. The initiative aims to create over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs within five years, reduce import dependency from 80% to 40% through smart industrialisation, and mobilise billions of CFA francs to finance local startups and infrastructure.
“Sixty-five percent of future jobs don’t yet exist. This is our opportunity,” Sylla said, highlighting efforts to modernise education, transform agriculture through data and drones, and build a monetised creative economy. The event is expected to draw more than 5,000 participants from 40 countries, including policymakers, industry leaders, tech innovators, startups, global investors, and multinational corporations. This convergence aims to boost Africa’s tech advancement, spotlight future-focused innovation, and forge concrete strategic partnerships.
Following the Dakar edition, Nexten plans to roll out its model city by city across the globe, with each location benefiting from sustainable infrastructure, operational platforms, and lasting investment channels. The Nexten Summit 2025 is set to become a catalyst for transformation – where AI and blockchain shift from theory to tangible tools driving Africa’s economic revolution.
