Forensic police: Benin gets a state-of-the-art national DNA analysis laboratory

Benin takes a major step in modernizing its justice system by launching the Research, Investigation and Forensic Analysis Platform (PRIAM).

The goal is to fill a structural gap that currently hinders the country’s and the sub-region’s justice system, where the absence of an independent DNA analysis capability slows the resolution of complex criminal cases and limits the State’s sovereignty over the handling of sensitive data.

PRIAM provides for the installation of a 220 m² modular, robotized national laboratory, designed to withstand local climatic conditions and fully equipped to international standards.

Technical teams will receive certified training, while judges, judicial police officers, court clerks and other legal experts will attend specialized sessions to master the new tools.

A European forensic hematology laboratory will support the project for two years, offering operational assistance, skills transfer and support for obtaining ISO 17025 accreditation.

The lab is expected to be fully operational in the first year, with international accreditation by the end of the second.

In sub-Saharan Africa, only one other laboratory currently holds this recognition. This project will allow Benin to become a regional reference hub for DNA analysis, with significant benefits for control over national genetic data, accelerated criminal procedures and improved case resolution rates.

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