Benin - Country Partnership Framework for the Period FY2027-FY2036 : Annex 7 - Streamlined SCD for Benin

Overview & Synopsis

Benin is experiencing rapid demographic change, uneven economic transformation, heightened exposure to climate and regional insecurity risks, persistent governance and informality challenges, and spatially concentrated poverty that is most severe in the rural north. In the coming years, the World Bank Group will focus on accelerating a more resilient, private sector–led growth model by boosting agricultural productivity and diversification, catalyzing private investment and value addition, and strengthening transport and logistics to leverage the Port of Cotonou and trade corridors. Efforts will prioritize expanding access to reliable and affordable energy and improving water and sanitation, with an emphasis on underserved regions, while advancing digital connectivity to enable inclusion, innovation, and competitiveness. The agenda will also reinforce delivery of public services by enhancing education, health, and early childhood development, addressing human capital gaps and gender disparities to support a faster demographic transition and better labor market outcomes. To expand opportunity and protect the vulnerable, the Bank will help deepen adaptive and productive social safety nets and scale labor market programs for youth. Strengthening disaster risk management and climate adaptation will be pursued alongside mobilizing and coordinating climate finance and promoting greener infrastructure and urban resilience. Cross-cutting priorities include improving the business environment, access to finance and skills for micro, small, and medium enterprises, advancing governance and domestic revenue mobilization, and addressing fragility, conflict, and violence risks to foster inclusion and stability.