Apr 10, 2026
3 min read
Strong growth, a modern economy, but persistent poverty: the next president of Benin, elected on Sunday, will inherit a country in a state of complete transformation, but will have to answer to the working class,... - 04/10/2026 at 20:23 -
A young man walks in a district of Cotonou on April 9, 2026, near an election poster taped to a wall (AFP / OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT)
Strong growth, a modernized economy but persistent poverty: the next president of Benin, elected on Sunday, will inherit a country in full transformation but must respond to the working classes, strongly affected by the high cost of living.
In Abomey-Calavi, on the outskirts of Cotonou (south), Mathias Tottin is opening large hatcheries where thousands of eggs will soon become market chickens.
In recent years, his agri-food company has continued to grow and today has about forty employees, thanks, he says, to the economic reforms of President Patrice Talon, who stepped down after ten years in power.
"The business environment in Benin is very clean. They have conditions to respect. Earlier, at customs, the consumer was taxed for the same product. Today, that has ended," he says.
In the heart of Cotonou, Claudia Tövbe makes the same observation.
"You can create your business online in an hour! Many formalities are digitized, there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs, and this allows us to focus on our business, not on administration," noted the producer of a local cosmetic brand.
Residents of Benin's capital ride motorcycles and cars in front of an election campaign in Cotonou, April 9, 2026 (AFP/OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT).
Her store has quadrupled in size in a few years, and the country's economic development has also, she says, allowed "a certain middle class" to emerge, which is part of her new clientele.
Because at the macroeconomic level, Benin's results can be envied by others: annual growth above 6%, deficit reduced to 3% of GDP, construction of 3,000 km of roads, obtaining funds on the international market...
- "Everything is expensive!"
But these good figures and this extremely rapid development have not lifted everyone out of poverty, the number of which still exceeds 30% of the country, which is 173 out of 193 in the human development index.
"Our growth only makes sense if it is inclusive, this is our absolute priority", recognizes Aristide Medenau, General Director of Economy of the dedicated Ministry, who ensures that the "ultimate goal" is the "elimination of extreme poverty".
In the Zongo area of Cotonou, Musharraf Fasassi, a fashion designer, is busy in his four-person workshop.They can earn around 60,000 CFA francs (€91.50) a month, barely above the minimum wage of 52,000 francs (€79).
As in most West African countries, the share of the informal sector in Benin's economy is still quite significant.
"My wish is for the next president to reduce the cost of living, especially taxes and electricity. It's hard to ignore it today," the designer told AFP.
And development also has costs: Cotonou's informal markets, for example, have been replaced by modern halls that are cleaner and better organized, but incur higher costs for traders, leading to higher prices for certain products.
At the Faculty of Health Sciences in Cotonou, Aliou Falilatu prepares the popular milky degu with semolina."Everything is expensive! Ginger, tomatoes in the market...nothing is cheap anymore," he lamented in front of his pot.
- "Act on the suggestion" -
"We cannot say that there is no progress, a lot has changed. But if I said at the end of the month that I have money left, I would be lying," he adds, calling for "loans" to be found.
"All this progress that we are proud of is not felt on the plates of poor people when they eat," said Aristide Fadgnon, a grain products trader.
In Sunday's presidential election, the main favorite is Romuald Vadany, the minister of finance since 2016 and the architect of the country's economic development.
In order to encourage exit from the informal sector, he specifically proposes "the creation of a credit mechanism from 50,000 (€76) to 50 million CFA francs (€76,200"), explains Mr.Medina.
When faced with the cost of living, his opponent, Paul Honkpe, promised to lower the price of consumer goods.
"In a market economy, our doctrine is not to manage prices arbitrarily, but to act based on distribution and do our role as a shield in times of crisis," replied Mr. Medenou, referring to the three levels used by the government and in which the candidate Wadagni wants to continue to be part: to further strengthen the agricultural production system and stability of oil prices.crisis.
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