‘Bénin Révélé’: President-led urbanism in Cotonou

Abstract

Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, is undergoing a significant transformation. New roads, bridges, markets, a ministerial complex, a referral hospital, statues and monuments, a contemporary art museum, thousands of ‘social’ dwellings, and the extension of the port are just some of the construction sites spread across the city. Designated as the country’s ‘showcase’, Cotonou is the primary beneficiary of the government's ‘Bénin Révélé’ action programme. This ambitious and detailed plan was launched in 2016 by Patrice Talon, the country’s president and richest man. It aims to ‘modernise’ and ‘develop’ the country to make it a benchmark destination in West Africa – and is highly appreciated and financially supported by international agencies. A whole structure was put in place to make this dream a reality. The government established new agencies to manage the implementation of the various projects. To lead these agencies, the president personally invited high-ranking Beninese professionals from the diaspora to return to the homeland and offered them attractive ‘expat’ conditions. These agencies report directly to the president, bypassing ministries and the municipality, often described as slow and bureaucratic institutions. This presentation examines the tensions generated by this highly centralised, president-led and exclusionary urban governance model and challenges the colonial legacies embedded in discourses of efficiency and development.