Benin secures €15 million German funding as Berlin 2027 negotiations take shape
Benin and Germany have concluded a fresh round of strategic bilateral talks, sealing an additional €15 million in funding and setting the stage for high-level negotiations in Berlin in 2027.
Bilateral consultations wrap up in Cotonou
Delegations from both nations met on Thursday, 8 October 2026, at the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Cooperation in Cotonou. The talks were co-chaired by Hugues O. Lokossou, Benin’s Minister for the Mobilisation of 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). The consultations are designed to lay the groundwork for intergovernmental negotiations scheduled for Berlin in 2027.
New €15 million envelope targets solar power, SMEs and gender
A joint statement issued on Friday, 9 October 2026, confirmed that Germany will release an additional €15 million (around 9.8 billion CFA francs) for the current year. The funds will be channelled into two priority 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 Benin’s reform agenda
Welcoming the discipline of Benin’s economic and financial reforms, the German delegation reaffirmed its backing for the government’s 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 skills training to labour market needs for young people.
- Water management and biodiversity preservation: Improving the environmental resilience of local communities.
Both governments also restated their shared commitment to consolidating the rule of law, democracy and multilateral values. They then made official their major bilateral meeting in Berlin in 2027, where future multi-year partnership commitments will be defined.
