On September 23, Benin's President led a ceremony to launch six territorial development poles, marking a significant step towards decentralizing growth and development in the country. This move is part of the President's project to anchor growth and development in the territories through territorialization and regionalization. The goal is to convert local potential into wealth and transform national ambitions into visible results for the population. This new approach signifies a change in the nature of local public action.
According to Luc Gnacadja, Mayor of Cotonou and President of the National Association of Benin's Communes (ANCB), this reform opens a third generation of decentralization. The first generation, launched in 2002-2003, established communes and installed local democracy. The second generation, started in 2016, modernized commune governance. The third generation, with the development poles, aims to transform territories by organizing commune cooperation with the state at a larger scale to address significant challenges.
The new development poles are designed to address major challenges such as youth employment, agricultural and industrial sectors, mobility, water management, and territorial planning. Each pole will have a delegated general for development who will coordinate actors, contribute to planning and investment monitoring, and ensure intervention coherence. The poles will focus on four components: agriculture, industry, tourism, and innovation, tailored to their specific strengths.
The architecture of the development poles is based on complementarity and subsidiarity. The state will set the direction and provide a common intervention framework for all poles, including physical and digital infrastructure, human capital formation, support for SMEs and artisans, and incentives for private investment. Each pole will build its program around its unique strengths. The prefect will remain the state representative in the department and commune tutelage authority, while communes will lead local projects and population consultation.
Luc Gnacadja emphasizes that communes play a crucial role in the success of the development poles. Communes have in-depth knowledge of their territory, can mobilize inhabitants and local organizations, and have an innovative capacity that is often underestimated. The ANCB, represented on the National Steering Committee, will ensure that commune voices are heard and that the reform is built with the territories, not just for them.
Before the new decentralization efforts can succeed, it's essential to learn from the past twenty years of decentralization experience. Evaluating and addressing the difficulties revealed by this experience is crucial. Communes vary significantly in size, population, resources, and strengths, and a uniform framework may not suit all. Greater flexibility in organization and management agility are needed for communes to realize their potential.
The success of the development poles depends on effective collaboration between the state, communes, and other actors. The communes are not just the last link in the chain but the first, as they are the point of contact with citizens and where investments produce concrete changes. With proper implementation and support, the development poles can help Benin achieve its development goals and improve the lives of its citizens.
Key points
- The new development poles aim to decentralize growth and development in Benin.
- The poles will focus on four components: agriculture, industry, tourism, and innovation.
- Communes play a crucial role in the success of the development poles, bringing in-depth knowledge of their territory and innovative capacity.
