On Thursday, 8 October 2026, delegations from Benin and Germany wrapped up their strategic bilateral consultations at the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Cooperation in Cotonou. The talks, co-chaired by Hugues O. Lokossou, Minister in charge of Mobilising External Resources and Debt Management, and Dr Silvia Morgenroth, Head of the West Africa Division at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), laid the groundwork for intergovernmental negotiations scheduled in Berlin in 2027.
Germany releases €15 million for solar power, SMEs and gender equality
At the end of the discussions, formalised in a joint statement issued on Friday, 9 October 2026, the German side announced the release of an additional €15 million (around 9.8 billion CFA francs) for the current year.
This funding will support two key areas:
- Energy transition: Adding a solar component to the Nangbéto hydroelectric plant (a mixed hydro-solar regional project).
- Local entrepreneurship: Expanding advisory and technical support programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a strong focus on empowering women entrepreneurs.
Three strategic pillars aligned with the government’s reform agenda
Welcoming Benin’s disciplined economic and financial reforms, the German delegation reaffirmed its support for the Government Action Programme (PAG) through three priority areas:
- Financial governance and decentralisation: Strengthening local and territorial budget management capacities.
- Private sector development and vocational training: Matching training to jobs for young people.
- Water management and biodiversity preservation: Improving the environmental resilience of communities.
Both governments also restated their shared commitment to consolidating the rule of law, democracy and multilateral values, before officially setting their major bilateral meeting in Berlin in 2027 to define future multi-year partnership commitments.