Senegal has named 60-year-old economist Ahmadou Alhaminou Mohamed Lo as its new Prime Minister.

The appointment comes days after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dismissed former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as part of a cabinet reshuffle.

Lo is a seasoned technocrat who has been in government since April 2024. He is widely seen as one of the key figures behind Senegal’s new governance framework.

He is an economist by training. His expertise covers macroeconomics, banking regulation, financial markets and Islamic finance.

Lo began his education at the Prytanée Militaire de Saint-Louis. He graduated in 1985 as valedictorian with a science baccalaureate.

He later earned a master’s degree in economics from Cheikh Anta Diop University. He also holds a diploma in banking techniques from the West African Center for Banking Studies in Dakar. In 2023, he obtained an Executive Master’s in Islamic Finance from INCEIF University in Kuala Lumpur.

He spent much of his career at the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), which he joined in 1987.

He rose through several senior roles. These include Head of Treasury, Head of Market Operations, Director of Banking Activities and Financing of Economies, and Director-General for Organisation and Information Systems.

In December 2016, he became Senegal’s National Director at the BCEAO. He was later appointed Adviser to the Governor in 2021. In February 2024, he joined the institution’s General Secretariat in Dakar.

At the BCEAO, Lo played a key role in Senegal’s Eurobond issuances and credit rating engagements with agencies including Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. He also took part in IMF programme negotiations.

He contributed to banking reforms and regional financial integration across the WAEMU bloc. He also supported the development of Islamic finance in the region.

He has represented several regional financial bodies, including the WAEMU Deposit Guarantee and Resolution Fund. He also sits on the board of the Union’s Pension Fund for senior staff.

Lo is fluent in French and English and reads Arabic.

He entered government on April 5, 2024, as Minister Secretary-General to the Presidency. In that role, he coordinated cabinet operations and inter-ministerial policy implementation.

On April 30, 2025, he was promoted to Minister of State at the Presidency. He oversaw the “Senegal 2050” National Transformation Agenda, including monitoring and policy evaluation.

His appointment as Prime Minister now places a key technocrat at the centre of government. He is expected to drive President Faye’s reform and transformation agenda.

The reshuffle follows the dismissal of Ousmane Sonko. President Faye dissolved the cabinet on Friday, ending months of speculation over tensions linked to the country’s debt situation.

Meanwhile, Senegal’s parliament ⁠⁠has elected ousted prime ⁠⁠minister Ousmane Sonko as speaker, a move that ⁠⁠could give him a powerful platform to challenge President Bassirou ⁠⁠Diomaye Faye.

The president dismissed Sonko on Friday and dissolved the cabinet, ending months of speculation about a growing ‌‌rift between the two over how to handle the country’s debt crisis.

Sonko, however, remains leader of the Pastef party. The party controls 130 of the 165 seats in Senegal’s National Assembly.