African Renaissance Monument: contested before it even stood, now Dakar’s landmark

The African Renaissance Monument had more or less everything a monument can have against it: its price, its builders from Pyongyang, the nudity of its figures and a president who claimed a share of its takings. Yet more than fifteen years later, it is the one thing you will look for to get your bearings in Dakar, from the Corniche, the VDN or an aeroplane window. You do not have to like it. But go up it at least once: from the viewing deck inside the statue’s head, the whole Cap-Vert peninsula falls into place, and the statue’s story says a great deal about the Senegal of the 2000s.

At a glance

Resident or visitor: the same steps, two reasons to climb them

If you live in Senegal, you probably drive past the Monument every week, and there is a good chance you have never been inside. That is the paradox of landmarks: we see them too often to visit them. Entry includes a much lower resident rate, and the visit fits into a weekend morning. The site also lives as a neighbourhood space: people work out on the steps and the esplanade, take the children there during the holidays, and International Yoga Day was celebrated there in the open air, in 2016 and again in June 2026. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate on activities booked through QFS around the site: up to 30% off depending on the activity.

If you are passing through, do not treat it as a photo to tick off from the car. The Monument is the best viewpoint in the city: in an hour, it gives you the geography of Dakar, from the Pointe des Almadies to the Madeleine Islands. Put it at the start of your “ocean” day, before the Mamelles Lighthouse, the Mosque of the Divinity and Ngor, and you will understand where you are from then on. And take five minutes for its history: it explains why some people in Dakar still look at it with a wry smile.

A statue contested before it even stood

A president’s idea, a ten-year project

The project grew out of the wishes of President Abdoulaye Wade, who wanted to give Africa a symbol capable of rivalling the world’s great statues. Work first began in the early 2000s. The Senegalese architect Pierre Goudiaby Atepa was involved in its design, but authorship of the design itself has been debated: the president presented himself as its inspiration, and the press later reported the role of a sculptor of Romanian origin. The statue shows a family: a bare-chested man holding a child aloft at arm’s length, the child pointing to the horizon, and a woman he draws along with his other hand. The group seems to burst out of the hill, as if rising from the earth: that is the whole idea of “renaissance”.

Builders from Pyongyang

Construction was entrusted to Mansudae Overseas Projects, the export arm of the North Korean state art studio in Pyongyang, which specialises in monumental statues. North Korean and Senegalese workers were employed on the site. This is a historical fact, not a detail: the choice fuelled part of the criticism, with some objecting that the “symbol of Africa” had been shaped in the style of North Korean official monuments, and others regretting that an African symbol had been handed to foreign builders.

The cost, the land and the 35%

The budget was estimated at around US$27 million. Rather than paying the whole bill in cash, the state paid partly in kind, by handing over land. In a country where a large share of the population lived below the poverty line, the opposition spoke of waste, and protesters denounced the expense. Another controversy broke out when Abdoulaye Wade claimed intellectual property rights over the work, and with them 35% of the site’s tourism revenue. For his opponents, this amounted to appropriating a share of a public asset.

Nudity and the imams

The third front was religious. In an overwhelmingly Muslim country, imams in Dakar judged the monumental depiction of the human figure to be idolatrous, and objected to the scanty clothing of the figures, particularly that of the woman. Feminist voices also pointed out that the woman is shown in the background, guided by the man. The Monument was nonetheless inaugurated on 3 April 2010, on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of Senegal’s independence, celebrated on 4 April, in the presence of many African heads of state.

How an object of anger becomes a landmark

What is striking today is how ordinary the place has become. The controversies have not vanished from conversation, but the Monument has become part of the landscape: it serves as a meeting point, a backdrop for thousands of photos and selfies, a training ground for local athletes, and a setting for public celebrations such as International Yoga Day. During the holidays, the esplanade fills with families and school groups. The statue has also aged fast: as early as 2015, and again in 2020, the Senegalese press noted the verdigris on the copper and the paint on the base flaking in the sea air. In June 2026, the ministry responsible for Culture and Historic Heritage listed it among the sites to be refurbished before the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). A contested monument that a state chooses to renovate: that may be the best definition of a landmark.

Key facts & figures

Getting there & official fees

The Monument stands on one of the two Mamelles hills, in Ouakam, the other one carrying the lighthouse. From the Plateau, follow the Corniche Ouest north-west; from the northern districts and the airport, take the VDN. Allow from 20 minutes to almost an hour depending on traffic. Taxis and vehicles with a driver drop you at the foot of the steps; from there, the lighthouse and the road down to the Mosque of the Divinity are a few minutes away by car.

Entry is paid, with two options: the standard visit, which stops at the 3rd floor, and the full visit, which takes the lift up to the viewing deck. These are official fees, payable on site, not included in the price and separate from any activity booked on QFS.

Reduced rates exist for children. The esplanade, the steps and the surroundings of the site can be explored without a ticket. The site opens during the day and into the early evening; choose the morning for a quiet visit.

What to see

The steps and the esplanade. The climb itself is part of the visit: step by step, the statue grows above you, and the esplanade opens onto the ocean. It is from here that you best grasp the proportions of the whole.

The ground floor and the exhibition rooms. Inside the base, a film traces the history of the construction and a fresco unfolds the history of the continent. The upper floors host temporary exhibitions, art objects from several African countries and a reception room. It is not a museum in the strict sense, but a good introduction to the idea of “African renaissance” as the project conceived it.

The viewing deck in the head. This is the reason to pay for the full visit. Through the openings in the man’s head, your gaze sweeps towards the Pointe des Almadies, Ngor, the Madeleine Islands, the nearby Mamelles Lighthouse and the city stretching out towards the Plateau. On a clear day, it is the widest view of Dakar.

The statue, up close and from afar. Walk around the base to see the child reaching towards the horizon, then step away: the silhouette reads best from the Corniche, or from the lighthouse hill.

Nearby

The Mamelles Lighthouse, on the other hill, offers the other panorama, facing out to sea; it is also charged for. Below, the Mosque of the Divinity can be seen from the Corniche and from the beach at Ouakam, a former Lebou village where pirogues are hauled up onto the sand. Further north, the Pointe des Almadies closes off the peninsula, followed by Ngor, its beach and Ngor Island. Offshore, the Madeleine Islands National Park can be visited on a supervised trip. To the south-east, the Corniche leads to the Plateau, the Museum of Black Civilisations and the ferry terminal for Gorée. To organise it all, our ideal 3-day Dakar itinerary and our Dakar page group the sights by area.

The right time

From November to May, the dry season brings clear skies and the sharpest views from the viewing deck. During the rainy season (hivernage), from July to October, the humid heat and showers sometimes blur the horizon: go up early in the morning.

During the day, the morning is the quietest time, before the groups and school parties. The late afternoon gives the finest light on the bronze, on the west side, and it is the time when the esplanade and the steps fill up with people working out. For sunset, a simple option: visit the Monument at the end of the day, then head down to the Pointe des Almadies or the Corniche to watch the sun drop into the ocean, with the statue silhouetted behind you.

During the school holidays, the site is very busy with families: come at opening time. During the Dakar 2026 YOG, from 31 October to 13 November, the Monument is one of the sites the state wanted refurbished to welcome the public: expect bigger crowds.

Practical tips

• The steps are in full sun. Water, a hat and closed shoes: the climb is short but steep, and the stone heats up quickly in the afternoon.
• Reduced mobility. The outdoor steps are the main obstacle; the indoor lift then serves the viewing deck. Ask on site about access to the foot of the statue before setting off.
• Clothing. No particular requirement for the Monument, but bring something to cover your shoulders and knees if you go on to the Mosque of the Divinity.
• Photos. Photographing the statue and the panorama is no problem. Photographers offer their services on the esplanade: agree the price before the shoot. Ask before photographing families and people exercising.
• Respect for the place. The Monument remains a sensitive subject for some Senegalese people, whether they defend it or criticise it. You can talk about it freely, but avoid reducing the statue to its controversies in front of those who come with their families.
• Ticket. Choose your option at the entrance: if you are going up for the view, take the full visit with the viewing deck straight away.

Book an activity here with QFS

The Monument is not an activity in itself, but it anchors several trips bookable on QFS. Guided cultural tours of Dakar often include it in a route along the Corniche, with the Mamelles and Ouakam. Outdoor sports enthusiasts will find personal training & fitness sessions that meet near the Monument, as well as yoga & meditation classes, a discipline Dakar has celebrated on the site. A few minutes away, Ouakam and Ngor open onto surf lessons & camps and boat trips (sunset, islands & sport fishing). To link the sites without relying on taxis, consider vehicle hire with driver.

You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day. Entry to the Monument is an official charge, payable on site and not included in the price. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off depending on the activity (the exact rate is shown on each listing).

Frequently asked questions