I spent some days last week in Cotonou, Benin Republic, attending the 16th EUMESAT User Forum In Africa. The experience in the French-speaking West African country was quite revealing. Known famously as a country of voodoo practitioners, Benin Republic is gradually repositioning itself as a thriving investor-friendly nation.
The organisers of the conference took the over 100 participants who came from different African and European countries on a sightseeing tour. We had thought that the trip would be to Cotonou’s beautiful coconut-lined beaches to admire the Atlantic Ocean, or to any of their other tourist attractions. We were wrong. They took us on a destination tour aimed at marketing Benin Republic to us.
We were driven by bus to the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ), a sprawling industrial park 45 km from the capital city, which the promoters described as “an integrated industrial zone settled on 1640 hectares and focused on the creation of thriving value chains ranging from the supply of raw materials, the transformation of resources to the export of finished products”.
The information posted on the GDIZ website says that “GDIZ aims to provide investors with a gateway to integrate the African landscape by providing them with infrastructure, an atmosphere conducive to business and supporting them in the promotion of their products through our ecosystem approach”.
We were wowed by what we witnessed. As of 2023, over 45 businesses have already begun operations at the park. The strategic intentions of the government and the promoters were glaring as they have delivered a world-class, purpose-built, and hassle-free facility for investors. We toured towel, garment and industrial thread factories.
As we walked through the factories inspecting the operations, what kept going through my mind was the question, ‘Is this Africa’? I concluded that perhaps Benin Republic may just be Africa’s best-kept secret ready to lead the charge and course of African Renaissance.
We saw young Beninoise hard at work in the different precision machines taking the future of their country and destiny into their own hands. They displayed mastery and craftsmanship. Thousands of jobs have been created. The products being manufactured were both for export and local markets.
I spoke to some of the workers and operators. They pointed to the power of the vision of President Patrice Guillaume Athanase Talon, his team, favourable investment climate (what we refer to as enabling environment in Nigeria). They also pointed to steady electricity and other infrastructure as the critical enablers.
I was told that Benin Republic, a country of 13.35 million people, sources its electricity from neighbouring Nigeria. There is zero power outage at least in Cotonou where we stayed. I wondered at the reasoning behind Nigeria supplying electricity to other African countries to power their industrialization and development when in Nigeria, investors are leaving due to lack of electricity and for other reasons. Why should Nigerians continue to operate in darkness?
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We also visited the Python and Voodo temple where before I entered; I made the sign of the cross to neutralise all principalities and powers. I refused to partake in the tourists’ favourite activity of allowing a python to be hung around their neck. Some of the participants went into an inner sanctuary where for a token they could ask for favours from pythons kept in there.
We did not see any fuel queues like we do in Nigeria which also supplies their petrol and diesel needs. We drove through the Cotonou Port which is in the heart of the city, a few meters from the Presidential Palace. You will not know that you were driving past a port. There were no container-laden trucks lining the roads as we see at Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports, no touts and uniformed security personnel at the gates constituting nuisance to genuine port users. No chaos! The trucks only come out at night. The fence walls of the ports have become a major tourist attraction as beautiful paintings and graffitis adorn the walls. The Cotonou port walls is marketed as the longest graffiti walls in Africa.
Cotonou has two faces. There is the new Cotonou which is closer to the Atlantic Ocean where the swanky hotels, government offices and bars are. There is also the old Cotonou nearby that still wears colonial look. The roads of the city are well lit at night, expansive and tarred. There are provisions for walkways, motorcycle lanes and service lanes. You could see that some planning went into the designing of the city. The buildings are all fenced -in forming a straight-line thus improving the aesthetics. For all its beauty, Cotonou is not Lagos, Onitsha, Enugu, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano or any of Nigeria’s major cities. It may bore you if you are used to the hustle and bustle of Nigeria’s capital cities.
There was food at the hotel and at the conference venue. However, I discovered a local joint operated by an Anambra woman where I go to for my ofe akwu, bitter leaf and nsala soup fixes. They also do deliveries. Check out God’s Own Food Restaurant also known as Nwanyi Ozubulu, John K area, Cotonou. +22945287213).
My overall impression from the visit is that development must be all-inclusive, intentional, and integrated. The moving parts model we adopt in Nigeria is not sustainable. This model of making things up as we go along will see us trailing behind our neighbours for a long time to come.
There are lessons for Nigeria as a country, for the states and local governments. Government policy should help create the right environment that will attract investors. It is recommended that rather than travel to Dubai and other countries in search of development ideas, Nigerian leaders should take a short trip across the Badagry border to Cotonou. They should visit Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) for a brain reset.
Life in Cotonou is easy and relaxed. There is a semblance of law and order. All the ‘Okada’ riders wear helmets, likewise their passengers. Penalty for defaulting is CFA 10,000. The people don’t have a lot of money but they appear content. Their beaches are neat. No wonder tourists flock to the country in droves. We saw a lot of expatriates going about their business even late at night without any fear of armed robbery and kidnapping attacks. This shows that there is a connection between attracting tourism dollars and safe stable environments. Benin Republic is increasingly becoming an attraction for Nigerian students who come to study not only French language but other courses. Intending students should however beware. The federal government recently published a list of accredited higher institutions in the country which should serve as a guide.
We didn’t see police checkpoints. We also didn’t see any armed convoys. Their currency CFA is very much stronger than the Naira. We got a few jibes from the locals about that. They laughed at us.
Benin Republic seems to be ahead of Nigeria in environmental consciousness and matters relating to climate change. The streets are well-kept and neat without mountains of garbage littering the roads. Shops and supermarkets use mainly environmentally friendly and reusable bags, not the nylon bags we are used to in Nigeria. Benin Republic has for long provided skilled artisan and domestic labourers to Nigeria which helps their people to remit money back home. Benin Republic is on the rise surely.
