The government of Benin has launched two initiatives, Terra Bénin and the Project for Participation in the Scaling Up of the National Cadastre (PPMEC II), to modernize its land administration. The launch event, held in Cotonou on November 6, 2026, brought together officials from the National Land and Property Agency (ANDF), technical and financial partners, and institutional actors. The goal is to strengthen previous reforms and extend cadastral coverage to a larger part of the national territory.
The Terra Bénin program, designed to run for ten years, aims to change the scale of land administration in Benin. The first phase, spanning five years, will focus on 14 communes, including Natitingou, Bèmbèrèkè, and Ouessè. During this phase, the program plans to record at least 1.5 million plots and issue one million cadastral registration certificates. The program also aims to strengthen the capacities of the ANDF, the National Geographic Institute (IGN), and communal structures responsible for land management.
The PPMEC II project, supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, aims to consolidate the achievements of previous interventions and accompany the extension of the cadastre. The project has already yielded significant results since 2018-2019, including the development of a cadastral digital platform, complete coverage of Cotonou, Parakou, and Porto-Novo, and the census of around 644,000 plots. The new phase plans to cover six communes entirely and provide technical assistance to the ANDF and IGN in 12 other communes.
The director-general of the ANDF, Xavier Zola, emphasized that the new stage must allow for the consolidation of efforts made in favor of a more efficient land administration. He highlighted that the security of attached rights is a condition essential to confidence and truth in Beninese society. The representative of the World Bank in Benin, Karine Bachongy, stressed the scope of the Terra Bénin initiative, presented as the most important land program financed by the World Bank in Africa.
The minister delegate for Finance and Microfinance, Nicolas Yenoussi, insisted on the need for effective coordination between institutions, communes, and partners. He called for citizens to be placed at the heart of the process, particularly through proximity communication and rigorous consideration of their observations and claims. The success of this reform will depend on the appropriation of the system by the populations and the quality of the follow-up on the ground.
Karine Bachongy noted that mapping the land is securing the present, while recognizing rights allows for investment in the future. The ambition is to cover 56 communes with the two programs, representing nearly two-thirds of Benin's communes. The programs aim to reduce land-related conflicts, which are still a source of tension for many families and hinder economic investments.
The launch of Terra Bénin and PPMEC II reflects the Beninese government's commitment to converging interventions around a national objective. The programs will improve knowledge of the territory, facilitate the identification of land rights holders, and make administrative services more accessible. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a more efficient and secure land administration system for the benefit of Beninese citizens.
Key points
- The Terra Bénin program aims to record at least 1.5 million plots and issue one million cadastral registration certificates in its first phase.
- The PPMEC II project plans to cover six communes entirely and provide technical assistance to the ANDF and IGN in 12 other communes.
- The programs aim to cover 56 communes, representing nearly two-thirds of Benin's communes.
