The ecotourism center at the Boni N'Kéri Hospital Complex, in the municipality of N'dali, has been hosting the second session of the Interdepartmental Technical Committee (CTI) of the Agora program, dedicated to supporting local governance and enhancing the region’s appeal. Organized under the chairmanship of the Borgou Prefecture, this two-day meeting follows the first session held on March 25 and 26, 2026, in the same department. Supported by Swiss cooperation, the Agora program operates in the departments of Alibori, Atacora, Borgou, and Donga. This session, held on August 12 and 13, 2026, brought together representatives of associations, local elected officials, mayors, program officers, executive secretaries, and municipal and departmental authorities.

At the opening of the session, the Prefect of Borgou, Abdoul-Chakour Assouma, first thanked the elected officials and associations in attendance before opening the session on behalf of the Minister of Decentralization and Local Governance. He then reiterated the Beninese government’s ambition, under the leadership of President Romuald Wadagni, to strengthen the rule of law, good governance, and the well-being of the people. He also commended the role of Swiss Cooperation as well as the establishment of the CTI as a tool for monitoring, evaluation, and interdepartmental coordination through rotating sessions. According to him, the relevance of the Agora program is evident in several respects: at a time of structural reform in the decentralization sector, it helps enhance the attractiveness of the municipalities in the four departments concerned and drive their economic and local development, with the aim of providing optimal living conditions for the people. He concluded by expressing the hope that this session would “result in relevant recommendations for better local governance and effective preparation for the second phase of the Agora program,” inviting participants to take an active part in the proceedings during the two-day meeting.

Following him, the head of the Governance and Peace Division at Swiss Cooperation, who was participating in a CTI session for the first time, congratulated the new prefects of Northern Benin and reaffirmed Switzerland’s commitment to working alongside the Beninese authorities. In her view, the CTI serves as a strategic framework for consultation and coordination among the key institutional actors in the four departments of Northern Benin, as it offers a unique forum for dialogue that enables collective reflection on responses to the challenges of territorial development, strengthening local governance, and enhancing the attractiveness of these regions, in line with the goals of the Agora program. She also highlighted the findings of the external evaluation of the program’s first phase, presented the previous day, which confirms the relevance of the program’s direction while identifying challenges that need to be addressed. “I remain convinced that the richness of the discussions and the quality of the recommendations will contribute to strengthening territorial governance and achieving the objectives of the Agora program,” she added.

For his part, the president of the Association for the Development of Borgou Municipalities (ADeCoB), Daouda Saka Mèrè, welcomed the new officials, notably the prefect of Borgou and the new head of the Governance and Peace Division. He emphasized the continuity of partnerships despite changes in personnel and reiterated the importance of the Agora program in supporting the new municipal teams that will take office in 2026. On this occasion, he described the program as a “precious opportunity” for the newly elected officials, as it comes at just the right time, “since the municipalities are in particular need of support to get their new terms off to a good start.” Finally, he reassured the partners of the association’s commitment to continuing this collaboration: “Rest assured that the Association for the Development of the Municipalities of Borgou is committed to continuing this collaboration alongside you.”

In addition, over the course of these two days, the session will examine several strategic issues: a review of the implementation of the recommendations from the first session in March 2026; an analysis of the operational and financial reports for the 2026 Annual Work Plan, particularly regarding regional service centers, the certification of local products, and the tourism circuit; a presentation of the results of the mock audits conducted in the municipalities; progress made in the areas of social cohesion and support for Public Procurement Officers; as well as a review of the FADeC Sahel 2024–2026 projects.

By convening in N’dali, this second session of the CTI already reaffirms the Committee’s role as a strategic forum for dialogue and coordination among prefectures, municipalities, and technical and financial partners. The upcoming sessions will help identify the anticipated recommendations, with a view to consolidating achievements and adapting to regional challenges, while focusing on preparing for the second phase of the Agora program, which aims to promote peace, resilience, and sustainable development for the populations of northern Benin.