PAG 22026 – 2033: after Talon’s major projects, Beninese now await the social dividends of Wadagni

This Government Action Program will not be judged solely on the number of projects announced. After ten years marked by profound reforms and significant investments under Patrice Talon, expectations are changing: the Beninese now want to measure the country’s transformation by the impact on their daily lives.

Employment, income, health, education, social protection, access to essential services, and reduction of territorial inequalities will be among the main criteria of the new seven-year term.
A change of president does not necessarily mean a change of trajectory.
Romuald Wadagni comes to power with an advantage, but also with a particular responsibility: he knows from within the economic policy conducted during Patrice Talon’s two terms, having served as Minister of Economy and Finance. His presidential project, presented under the slogan “Further, together,” clearly claimed continuity while promising to move towards a new stage.

This is precisely where the main challenge of the future PAG 2026-2033 lies. It will no longer be just about transforming the country. It will be necessary to demonstrate that this transformation also changes the lives of citizens.

The time of reforms, then the time of results

The Patrice Talon decade will have left a significant mark on the state apparatus, infrastructure, public finances, and several economic sectors. But public policy is not measured only by its visible achievements. A renovated road must reduce travel difficulties and facilitate economic activity. A built school must provide better learning conditions. A modernized health center must allow for more effective care. Investments must ultimately produce effects in households. This is the equation the new government will have to solve.

Romuald Wadagni already expressed this ambition during the presidential campaign by presenting his project as a desire to transform economic gains into social and territorial benefits.

The next PAG will therefore be expected to move from an assessment of achievements to an assessment of experienced improvements. This is what households will look at first. For a large part of the population, the success of the seven-year term will not primarily be a matter of macroeconomic statistics. It will be measured in the wallet, in the health center, in the school, in transport, in access to water and electricity, but also in a young person’s ability to find paid work or an entrepreneur’s ability to grow their business.

The first quarter of governance has given positive signals with strong social actions. The PAG 2026-2033, which will soon be presented, will certainly give hope to Beninese who have tightened their belts over the past 10 years.