The Bénin Excellence Library, operated by the Ong Bénin Excellence, has inaugurated a new building in Abomey-Calavi to address the growing number of visitors. The extension, financed by the Fondation Vallet and built by Optima Construction, aims to enhance educational, cultural, and scientific activities. In 2025, the library recorded 2,527,354 visits, surpassing its initial capacity of 500,000 visitors per year.
The new building, a five-story structure connected to the existing building by a walkway, features a reception hall, a 300m² covered area, a multipurpose room, two group work rooms, and an auditorium that can seat 230 people. An elevator has been installed to facilitate access for people with reduced mobility. The complex now has two buildings with a capacity for 2,500 seated readers and two conference rooms.
The expansion project, valued at 1.5 billion CFA francs, aims to double the center's capacity and improve working conditions for readers. According to Aliou Djialiri, executive director of Ong Bénin Excellence, the site's popularity necessitated the expansion, with visits increasing from 31,659 in the last quarter of 2019 to over 2.5 million in 2025.
The Fondation Vallet, which funded the project, is committed to education and cultural development in Benin. The foundation's initiatives include an artificial intelligence training program, which has trained around 700 people since its inception in 2021. In 2026, over 10,000 applications were received for 180 available spots.
The foundation also supports medical and social services in prisons, partnering with the Beninese Penitentiary Agency to provide medical care and establish mini-libraries in correctional facilities. In 2025, the program recorded 21,421 medical consultations.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Lionel Briand, director of the French Institute of Benin, who praised the foundation's contribution to access to knowledge. Dr. Espéran Padonou, president of the Ong Bénin Excellence board of directors, emphasized the significance of the investment, highlighting the site's status as one of the largest documentary complexes in the sub-region.
The library's expansion is part of a broader effort to promote education and reading in Benin. The Minister of Secondary Education, Clément Kouchadé, encouraged educators and teachers to make the library an extension of the classroom, promoting regular visits and pedagogical activities. Several rooms in the new building have been named in honor of intellectual and scientific figures, including Léopold Sédar Senghor and Marie Curie.
Key points
- The Bénin Excellence Library has expanded with a new building to accommodate a record number of visitors.
- The expansion project was financed by the Fondation Vallet and built by Optima Construction.
- The library's expansion aims to promote education, culture, and scientific development in Benin.
