In Mbour, motorbike taxi drivers are joining forces in a cooperative to secure decent work

In Mbour, motorbike taxi drivers are joining forces in a cooperative to secure decent work

The motorbike taxi sector is a vital part of urban mobility in Senegal, but drivers in Mbour continue to face informality, limited access to finance and a lack of social protection. To address these challenges, the International Labour Organization (ILO), through the ADIJEFE project funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and in partnership with YOBE, has supported the Mbour motorbike taxi economic interest group (GIE) in its transformation into a cooperative.

30 June 2026

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Mbour (Senegal) ILO News - The support drew on the Think.Coop and Start.Coop tools, developed by the ILO to promote the creation of sustainable cooperative enterprises. Held from 8 to 10 June 2026, the Think. Coop training enabled participants to discover cooperative principles and values, analyse the benefits of collective action and assess whether the cooperative model met their economic and social needs. Through a participatory approach based on discussions, group work and role-playing exercises, the drivers deepened their understanding of democratic governance, cooperative relationships and the benefits of collective work.

Members of the SOCOMOYO cooperative in Mbour

This first stage was followed, from 11 to 17 June 2026, by the Start.Coop training, designed to provide practical support for the creation of the future cooperative. Members of the initiative committee worked on market research, technical and financial feasibility analysis, the development of the business plan, and the preparation of the bylaws and internal regulations, in accordance with the provisions of the OHADA Uniform Act on the Law of Cooperative Societies.

"I am very pleased to have taken part in this training on setting up the Mbour motorbike taxi co-operative, particularly for its inclusive dimension. Usually, people with disabilities are not involved in this sort of activity. We thank the ILO, through the ADIJEFE project, and Italian cooperation, for enabling us to develop our skills, formalize our activity and demonstrate that having a disability does not prevent access to decent work." Ousseynou Mbaye, Member of the Mbour Centre for People with Disabilities

Ousseynou Mbaye, Member of the Mbour Centre for Persons with Disabilities

Beyond strengthening technical capacities, the training sessions fostered the mergence of a shared vision and a genuine spirit of solidarity amongst the participants. Evaluations carried out at the end of the sessions reflect a high level of satisfaction. Beneficiaries particularly praised the quality of the teaching, the availability of the trainers and the relevance of the tools used. Several of them emphasised that having acquired skills enabling them to better understand how a cooperative functions and to participate actively in its governance.

This process culminated on 20 June 2026 in the holding of the founding General Assembly of the Mbour Mototaxi Drivers' Cooperative (SOCOMOYO). The founding members adopted the cooperative's bylaws and internal regulations before democratically electing the Board of Directors, the Executive Committee and the Supervisory Board. This milestone marks the official birth of an organisation tasked with representing the interests of the drivers while improving their working conditions and economic prospects.

Young members of the SOCOMOYO cooperative in Mbour

The creation of SOCOMOYO marks an important step forward for the formalization of the informal economy and the promotion of decent work. By providing a framework for democratic governance, and better access to financial services, social protection and economic development opportunities, the cooperative strengthens its members' resilience and their capacity to develop a more sustainable activity.

"My name is Moussa Ba. I am the president of the motorbike taxi drivers in Mbour. I work in passenger transport and parcel delivery. We were invited by the ILO, with support from Italian development cooperation, to take part in this SCOOP training. We hope that by the end of the training, we will have all the tools we need to advance professionally, become formalized, and be recognized in our work. Forming cooperatives will enable us to be more respected in our work and to aspire to a better life through decent work." Moussa Ba, President of the motorbike taxi drivers in Mbour

Moussa Ba, President of the motorbike taxi drivers in Mbour

The Mbour experience illustrates the potential of cooperatives as a lever for economic and social inclusion. By supporting motorbike taxi drivers from awareness-raising through the effective creation of their collective enterprise, the ILO and its partners demonstrate that formalization is, above all, a process of capacity-building, dialogue and ownership by the beneficiaries themselves. This initiative thus paves the way for this approach to be replicated in other sectors and regions of Senegal, with a view to creating more productive, safer and more inclusive jobs.

Members of the executive board of the SOCOMOYO cooperative in Mbour