The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund has approved an additional $28 million in financing for Benin to advance the Economic Governance and Private Sector Development Support Programme (PAGE-DSP). This new funding, approved on 24 November 2025, follows the successful completion of phases I and II in 2023 and 2024. Its overall goal is to strengthen the private sector’s contribution to the national economy by improving the business environment, reinforcing Special Economic Zones, supporting the agro-industrial sector, and enhancing climate resilience.
The additional financing reflects Benin’s strong implementation of earlier programme phases. By 2025, the programme aims to deliver measurable results, including increasing private investment to 35.5 percent of GDP, boosting investment in the Glo-Djigbé Special Economic Zone to 23 billion CFA francs (around $40.5 million), and raising the value added of agri-food industries to 7.7 percent of GDP. These targets build on notable progress achieved since 2022 and earlier years.
To consolidate gains and drive further reforms, several key measures will be implemented. One major step involves the adoption of a decree establishing the National Competition Authority, defining its powers, structure, and funding. Operationalizing this authority will help strengthen national competition policy and ensure fair competition. Another reform will establish the Directorate for the Promotion of E-commerce, which will be responsible for implementing the National E-commerce Strategy for 2025–2029.
The programme will also update the gender assessment in the agricultural sector to align it with the country’s gender-responsive budgeting approach, now required across all ministries. This update will enable the government to better target measures supporting women in agriculture, ensuring that future interventions are more effective and equitable.
