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Benin

10 Jun 2020

West Africa makes face mask use compulsory

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cabo Verde
Chad
Gambia
Mali
Topics:
Culture & Society
Health
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
In March 2020, the visual landscape in West Africa changed as people started wearing face masks in public places, especially those living in urban areas. As of early April, many West African countries made it mandatory for people to wear non-medical cloth masks whenever they went outside. However, many local authorities lack the ability to enforce these generalised mask-wearing orders. Read on
04 Jun 2020

Social safety net spending remains too low

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Topics:
Children & Youth
Food security & Nutrition
Health
Resilience
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
Social safety nets are a key tool for improving food and nutrition security, eradicating poverty and building resilience among the most vulnerable. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, cash transfers and fee waivers for basic services have helped protect livelihoods, particularly in urban areas. Despite the strong investment case, current spending and coverage levels are inadequate to address the high poverty rates and vulnerability to shocks in the region. Read on
12 Feb 2020

Urban agglomerations in the UEMOA area

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Topics:
Demographic trends
Regional integration
Urban-rural development
Members:
UEMOA
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
The eight UEMOA member countries are experiencing a fast rate of urban growth. In 2015, some 42 million UEMOA citizens or 38% of the Union’s population lived in one of the region’s 738 urban agglomerations compared to less than 5% in 1950. With the exception of Guinea-Bissau, the majority of people in UEMOA’s coastal countries are already urban dwellers (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Togo). Read on
12 Feb 2020

Key figures - urban agglomerations in the UEMOA area

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Topics:
Demographic trends
Regional integration
Urban-rural development
Members:
UEMOA
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
The eight UEMOA member countries are experiencing a fast rate of urban growth. In 2015, some 42 million UEMOA citizens or 38% of the Union’s population lived in one of the region’s 738 urban agglomerations compared to less than 5% in 1950. With the exception of Guinea-Bissau, the majority of people in UEMOA’s coastal countries are already urban dwellers (Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Togo). Read on
09 Feb 2020

The growing potential of the UEMOA food economy

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Topics:
Economy
Food security & Nutrition
Regional integration
Urban-rural development
Members:
UEMOA
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
The food sector, which comprises agriculture, food processing, food marketing and food-away-from-home, is a key pillar of all eight UEMOA economies. In 2020, the sector’s value is estimated at USD 43 billion or 30% of the Union’s GDP. By 2030, the UEMOA food economy is expected to more than double to reach USD 92 billion or 34% of the Union’s GDP. This unprecedented expansion occurs in a context of rapid urban development. Read on
09 Feb 2020

The growing potential of the UEMOA food economy

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Topics:
Economy
Food security & Nutrition
Regional integration
Urban-rural development
Members:
UEMOA
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
The food sector, which comprises agriculture, food processing, food marketing and food-away-from-home, is a key pillar of all eight UEMOA economies. In 2020, the sector’s value is estimated at USD 43 billion or 30% of the Union’s GDP. By 2030, the UEMOA food economy is expected to more than double to reach USD 92 billion or 34% of the Union’s GDP. This unprecedented expansion occurs in a context of rapid urban development. Read on
05 Feb 2020

Severe food insecurity has tripled in the UEMOA area

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Topics:
Agriculture & Fisheries
Food security & Nutrition
Resilience
Members:
UEMOA
RPCA:
RPCA
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
About 3.8 million people were estimated to be in immediate need of assistance (phases 3-5) during October‑December 2019 in the eight UEMOA member countries, including 1.4 million in Niger, 1.2 million in Burkina Faso and 650 000 people in Mali. A large share of the population of Guinea‑Bissau is also food insecure (10.3% or 131 000 people). The number of people suffering from severe food insecurity has nearly tripled within the UEMOA area, compared to the same period in 2018. Read on
10 Jan 2020

UEMOA economies are projected to grow by 6.6% in 2020

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Mauritania
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Topics:
Development co-operation
Economy
Regional integration
Members:
UEMOA
SWAC:
SWAC
Body:
The 2020 economic outlook for the eight UEMOA member countries is positive. Despite the many security challenges, the UEMOA area will continue to grow by 6.6% in 2020, at the same rate as in 2019, more than twice the sub-Saharan African average of 3.2%. The security crisis in the Sahel, Nigeria’s border closure and election-related instability are the main risks which might undermine the Union’s economic prospects. Côte d’Ivoire remains a driving force, with a projected growth rate of 7.3%, mostly because of high cocoa prices. Read on
29 Dec 2019

Running for peace in the Sahel

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Niger
Togo
Topics:
Culture & Society
Resilience
Sahara-Sahel
Security
Terrorism
Body:
Niger held its first marathon under the slogan “Running for peace in the Sahel”. The “Grand Marathon du Ténéré” took place on 29 December 2019 around the city of Agadez in northern Niger. It aimed to help put a stop to the isolation of this troubled region. Read on
21 Dec 2019

Towards a single currency: from CFA franc to the Eco

Country:
Benin
Burkina Faso
Côte d'Ivoire
Guinea-Bissau
Mali
Niger
Senegal
Togo
Topics:
Cross-border co-operation
Development co-operation
Economy
Regional integration
Sahara-Sahel
Body:
One important step forwards towards a single currency was made on 21 December 2019 when Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara – who is also the current president of the UEMOA – and French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to reform the CFA franc, the common currency of the eight UEMOA member countries. Some 134 million people in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo use the CFA franc. Under the reform plan: the CFA franc will be renamed the “Eco”; France will withdraw from all governance bodies; and the Bank of France will no longer hold half of the foreign reserves. However, the Eco will continue to be pegged to the Euro and France will retain, for the time being, its role as its financial guarantor. Read on