WASHINGTON, June 25, 2025 - The World Bank has approved $41.3 million in additional financing from the International Development Association (IDA) to help Benin increase the economic inclusion of youth with little or no education and strengthen employment services and the technical and vocational training system.
The additional financing for the Youth Inclusion Project aims to scale up the national Azôli program – the path to employment in the local Fon language – to integrate more vulnerable youth into agri-food value chains and wage employment. Approximately 60,500 young people with little or no education will be trained to meet the demand for new businesses within and outside the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone. In addition, 1,000 vulnerable young people will be integrated into poultry value chains as part of the government's initiative to develop the poultry sector.
"This project has demonstrated that by equipping uneducated youth with technical skills, they can effectively contribute to economic growth and wealth creation, as is the case in the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone," said Nestor Coffi, World Bank Country Manager for Benin. "This additional financing will open up new training and employment opportunities for vulnerable youth, particularly in the poultry sector."
The additional financing will also support the establishment of the one-stop shop for employment to provide solutions for job seekers and employers. It will support new approaches to addressing the specific needs of those with limited or no schooling and help the National Employment Agency roll out the Labor Market Information System and its online learning platform.
Approved in 2020, the Youth Inclusion Project has already benefited more than 48,000 vulnerable youth. Through this project, nearly 200 companies have offered wage employment placements to about 30,000 vulnerable youth. In self-employment, 18,784 beneficiaries received technical training and start-up support.
