Social protection

The World Bank is supporting a Social Safety Net Strengthening Program, which aims to expand the national productive social safety net program for poor households, known as Gbéssoké. At least 150,000 people, representing 61% of the extremely poor households listed in the Single Social Register (RSU), will benefit from the program.

The Youth Inclusion Project (PRODIJ) supports the deployment of the Azôli program, which aims at the economic and social inclusion of young people with little or no education, aged 15 to 30, by giving priority to young girls and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly from areas vulnerable to violent extremism. A total of 49,900 young people have already benefited from the Azôli program, 44% of whom are young women.

Benin is also participating in Phase 2 of the Regional Unique Identification Program for Regional Integration and Inclusion in West Africa (WURI), which aims to increase the number of people with unique proof of identity, thereby facilitating their access to services. The WURI program has already made it possible to grant the identification card (fID certificate) free of charge to nearly 6 million people.

Agriculture

The Agricultural Competitiveness and Export Diversification Support Project (PACOFIDE) aims to increase private sector investment in agriculture, increase productivity of targeted value chains, improve market access, and diversify exports. In June 2024, the Bank granted additional financing of $150 million to improve food security in northern Benin by supporting the development of 3000 ha of irrigated perimeters for rice production and market gardening in the communes of Malanville and Karimama and intensifying support for export sectors, mainly cashew nuts and pineapples. The project has already reached 351,851 beneficiaries.