Benin/Inaugural conference on the protection of cultural heritage: Benin consolidates its achievements and charts new prospects

Benin continues its dynamic transformation in the cultural sector. This was the conclusion of the inaugural conference held on Tuesday April 28, 2026 in Cotonou, as part of the first session of the National Commission for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (CNPPC). It was an opportunity for institutional executives, experts and academics involved in safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage to take stock of the progress made, and to look ahead to the challenges and prospects for the future.

Opening the proceedings, the Director of Cabinet of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Mr. Jacques AGUIA DAHO, welcomed the authorities' renewed interest in cultural heritage. He urged the members of the Commission to show commitment to meeting the challenges, in a context marked by the restitution and circulation of cultural goods, at the heart of dynamic cultural cooperation, notably between Benin and France. He also reaffirmed the support of state institutions for the CNPPC's mission.

Placed under the theme "Protection of cultural heritage in Benin: acquis, défis et perspectives d'avenir", the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the far-reaching changes undertaken by the State over the last few years to make cultural heritage a lever for development.

Established by Law N°2021-09 of October 22, 2021 and made operational by implementing decrees, the National Commission for the Protection of Cultural Heritage is part of a drive to modernize the legal and institutional framework. It is intended as a consultative body to support the State in defining and implementing policies to safeguard, protect and promote tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Reassuring achievements

At the heart of the conference were two major presentations. The first, led by Professor Marcel Didier HOUÉNOUDÉ, a lecturer and cultural heritage specialist, focused on Benin's achievements in the field of heritage protection, current challenges and future prospects, with an international comparative perspective. The second presentation, by Paul AKOGNI, General Manager of the Agence de Sauvegarde de la Culture de l'aire Adja-Tado, focused on the legal and institutional aspects of cultural heritage protection in Benin, highlighting the existing normative framework.

These exchanges highlighted the significant efforts made by the Government over the last decade. Between the restitution of cultural property, the rehabilitation of historic sites, the construction of four major museums and the strengthening of the institutional framework with the creation of four agencies dedicated to cultural areas, the cultural sector has undergone a genuine structural transformation.

Following the inaugural conference, the members of the Commission, chaired by Madame Gwladys GANDAHO, continued the work of their first session. They expressed their willingness to support the Executive in the pursuit of a more structured and ambitious governance of Benin's cultural heritage, with a view to its sustainable preservation and valorization in the service of national development.

Source: www.gouv.bj/