Benin: minutes of the Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025

I- Normative measures.

Creation of the Communal Investment Fund (FIC) and approval of its statutes.

By establishing this Fund, the Government intends to improve the framework for managing the financial support provided to municipalities and public inter-municipal cooperation bodies. This decision reflects the will to strengthen their investment capacities, the aim being to pursue the balanced development of the country from decentralized local authorities.

This financing instrument replaces the Municipal Development Support Fund (FADeC) and will allow municipalities to access new and innovative sources of resource mobilization. It will help raise revenue levels and collect, on their behalf, the State’s retrocessions arising from shared taxation.

The main missions of the Communal Investment Fund will therefore consist of :

providing services and mechanisms suited to meeting municipalities’ needs for additional financing to carry out their missions;
ensuring the necessary transparency and equity in the allocation of funds through the principle of equalization;
supporting the development of municipalities’ skills, particularly regarding financial analysis and the preparation of financing files;
monitoring the achievement of the objectives of the intra- and inter-municipal financing granted, to ensure their relevance within the framework of sustainable local development;
ensuring the monitoring and evaluation of projects financed by the Fund.

In addition, the FIC will handle the collection and management of domestic financing and the main external financing intended for the development of all municipalities.

It should be noted that financing granted directly to a local authority under agreements, such as twinning agreements signed directly between the municipality and the international partner, is not concerned.

Beyond mobilizing resources and transferring them to the municipalities concerned, the Fund will be authorized, in support of local authorities, to carry out management operations on the financing in question, including financial investment operations.

The Council agreed to its establishment and, at the same time, adopted its statutes.

Under other normative measures, decrees were adopted concerning :

the appointment of statutory auditors at certain public enterprises;
the submission to the National Assembly, for review and vote, of the bill amending Law No. 2024-26 of July 17, 2024 on the organic law on the Economic and Social Council;
the amendment of the statutes of the Craft Industry Development Fund.

II- Communications

II-I. Approval of the Strategy for Strengthening Educational Alternatives for inclusive basic education 2026-2030.

Educational alternatives refer to any educational model or program made available to learners (young people and adults) outside formal education systems. They constitute varied and adapted forms of education offered to guarantee the right of access to education for all.

In Benin, they concern children aged 9 to 14 and must include a form of schooling, whether or not combined with an introduction to trades, and delivered in French and/or national languages.

Given the experience gained since 2016, the main challenge of the new education policy being advocated is to ensure the shift from a pyramidal offering centered on the school-based form of education, which sometimes generates dropout and exclusion, to a diversified and inclusive educational offering as envisaged in the new architecture of the education system.

This proposes that basic education, initially 12 years, including 2 years of preschool for learners under 15, should now be extended to 15 years so as to allow all children to reach the final year of secondary school.

This strategy also aims to address the absence of an institutionalized mechanism that effectively manages educational alternatives, making it possible to integrate all out-of-school children into the mainstream education system.

The changes expected from its implementation call for the effective application of the new architecture of the education system, the strengthening of the partnership between the State and local authorities, support from the sub-sector’s technical and financial partners, and greater involvement and commitment on the part of communities.

The related action plan comes with a budget estimated at 283,762,241,000 FCFA.

I-2. Contracting for full project management services under the project to build and equip certain health facilities.

On the one hand, this involves the construction and equipping of five 65-bed hospitals (in Lokossa, Ouidah, Cotonou 2&3, Dassa-Zoumè and Savalou), a 120-bed hospital in Kétou, a health center in Pobè, the rehabilitation and equipping of the Kétou health center, as well as the rehabilitation/reconstruction of certain facilities at the Sakété zone hospital.

On the other hand, the rehabilitation of the Borgou Departmental University Hospital Center and of the Parakou Armed Forces Training Hospital is also included.

The purpose of this project is to improve the quality of care provided to the population, to facilitate referral and counter-referral, and to create a more welcoming working environment for health personnel. Once completed, the works will promote the development of specialty hubs, the sharing of workspaces and the optimal functioning of hospital facilities.

To guarantee the quality of the works, the services relating to architectural design studies, technical or environmental and social impact studies, and the supervision and monitoring of works must be carried out professionally.

This is why the Council authorized contracting with the firms identified and instructed the ministers concerned to take the necessary steps to implement the project.

II-3. Authorization to recruit and train 715 police officer cadets for the year 2025.

These new recruits, who will supplement the 1,785 enlisted recently, will strengthen the ranks of the Republican Police for a stronger presence and denser coverage of the territory, in order to better address security challenges.

At the end of the recruitment process, they will take part in basic joint training at the Bembèrèkè Military Training Center and in professional training to prepare them for their future duties.

III- International meetings and events.

Under this heading, authorization was given for the organization of the pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj), 2026 edition, as well as for Benin’s participation :

in the 2nd global summit of the School Meals Coalition, in Fortaleza, Brazil, on September 18 and 19, 2025;
in the International French Travel Market trade show in Paris, France, from September 23 to 25, 2025;
in the 48th session of the FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Joint Commission, in Rome, Italy, from November 10 to 14, 2025;
in the Africa-Canada forum on the port industry and the blue economy, in New Brunswick, from November 11 to 13, 2025; then
in the 11th Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the 4th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 17 to 26, 2025.

IV- Individual measures.

The following appointments were made :

At the Ministry of the Interior and Public Security

Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry: Mr. Michel Victor DANGNON
Technical Advisor for the Management of Political Parties and Electoral Affairs: Mr. Adamou ABA BAGNAN
Departmental Director of the Interior and Public Security for the Zou and Collines departments: Mr. Marin K. AGONGNON
Departmental Director of the Interior and Public Security for the Ouémé and Plateau departments: Mr. Saliou Bangbola KOSSOLOU

At the Ministry of Secondary and Technical Education and Vocational Training

Technical Advisor for Technical Education and Vocational Training: Mrs. Armelle Pacian S. TCHIAKPE HODONOU

At the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Director General of the Beninese Agency for Research and Innovation: Mr. Nourou SOULEMANE YOROU
University leaders, following the selection procedure and after the favorable opinion of the National Education Council

University of Abomey-Calavi

Rector: Mr. Charlemagne IGUE
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs: Mr. Tahirou DJARA
Vice-Rector for University Research: Mr. Aliou SAÏDOU
Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Professional Integration: Mrs. Nelly C. KELOME
Secretary General: Mrs. Véronique GBEGNITO

University of Parakou

Rector: Mr. Bertrand SOGBOSSI BOCCO
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs: Mr. Tododjitché Thierry Armel ADOUKONOU
Vice-Rector for University Research : Mr. Nasser Mohamed BACO
Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Professional Integration: Mr. Alexis ABODOHOUI
Secretary General: Mrs. Konigbagbé Antoinette Isabelle FALADE

National University of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Rector: Mr. Codjo Edmond ADJOVI
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs: Mrs. Estelle Yèyinou LOKO
Vice-Rector for University Research: Mr. Comlan Aristide HOUNGAN
Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Professional Integration: Mr. Gordon Thierry GODJO
Secretary General: Mr. Boniface SABI BOUEGUI

National University of Agriculture

Rector: Mr. Bruno DJOSSA
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs: Mr. Florent OKRY
Vice-Rector for University Research: Mr. Adandé Belarmain FANDOHAN
Vice-Rector for Cooperation and Professional Integration: Mrs. Carolle AVOCEVOU
Secretary General: Mr. Nassirou ADJIBI.

Done in Cotonou, on September 17, 2025,

The Secretary General of the Government,

Edouard OUIN-OURO.