Portugal only needs Leone (795) and Arguin(802) + the islands to becom powerful , the provinces 801 and 802 were controlled by the Jolof (the portuguese tried to cristianize Jolof helping a rebellious prince, perhaps i would do and event for it) ..
The europeans shouldnt have colonies in West Africa until the XVIII century ( Seneagal ,Sierra Leone) and Jolof is the only coastal power in the region....
Having a pagan state at the coast will make it *easier* for europeans to colonize the region. Empty provinces with natives of varying ferocity need time, money and colonists to create a thriving colony (currently 5000 natives of aggresiveness 4 in province 799 and 800 as compared to aggresiveness 1 e.g. in Sierra Leone).
Conquering a pagan state in one war and converting it´s provinces pagan religion turns them into the owners culture with their whole population which will be easy for Portugal once the Treaty of Tordesillas event happens.
The Jolof "empire" was never an empire in the sense of a centralized state with a vast territory. It started as a small Mali vassal that became independent only in the 14th century and the "emperor" in the inland never fully controlled his vassal "kings" at the coast.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wolof_Empire.jpg
So if Jolof would be created as a state it would always be small in comparison to Mail and never control the whole area of provinces 799/800. I would suggest full decentralization and having no national cores but only claimcores, e.g.:
claimedprovinces = {
799 800
}
1549 they lose control of their sub-kingdom of Cayor and 1555 Bawol so I can´t see any ruler in that time have military or administrative abilities of more than 3.