African Development Bank backs Benin’s circular economy action plan

BENIN – The African Development Bank (AfDB) is supporting the Republic of Benin’s newly formalized Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP), positioning circularity at the heart of the country’s long-term economic transformation and competitiveness strategy.

Launched on 5 February 2026 with backing from the AfDB’s African Circular Economy Facility, the CEAP aligns with Vision 2060 Alafia, Benin’s national blueprint for sustainable and inclusive growth.

The plan integrates environmental management with industrial development, signaling a shift from linear consumption patterns toward resource efficiency and value retention across key sectors.

Benin has already demonstrated early progress. Authorities report that 70% of materials from rehabilitated road infrastructure are being recycled, while 90% of wastewater from textile factories operating in the Glo-Djigbe industrial zone is reprocessed.

These measures reflect growing industrial engagement in resource recovery and closed-loop systems.

Under the CEAP, the government has set clear 2035 targets: increasing the national recycling rate to 25%, achieving full urban waste collection and up to 60% coverage in rural areas, training 15,000 citizens in circular economy skills, and scaling circular enterprises from 19 to 300 businesses.

The AfDB’s support will focus on translating these targets into measurable, bankable projects while strengthening innovation ecosystems and youth entrepreneurship.

Waste generation remains a pressing challenge. Benin produces approximately 50,000 tonnes of plastic annually and around 1,700 tonnes of municipal waste daily, placing strain on public health systems, urban planning and environmental quality.

The CEAP is designed to address these pressures while unlocking new economic value streams from secondary materials.

At municipal level, pilot initiatives are already delivering tangible impact. In Avrankou, recycled biomass filtration systems now supply 85% of households with improved drinking water.

Nikki has converted cottonseed hulls into biogas serving hundreds of homes, while Bassila uses local digesters to transform organic waste into fertilizer.

In Abomey-Calavi, market waste is processed into compost and biogas, supporting food security, employment and emissions reduction.

By adopting the CEAP, Benin joins 22 other members of the African Circular Economy Alliance in embedding circular principles into national development frameworks.

For development financiers and private investors, the plan signals emerging opportunities in waste valorization, green infrastructure, renewable energy and sustainable manufacturing, sectors increasingly viewed as drivers of resilience and inclusive growth across Africa.

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