The World Bank has approved $200 million in International Development Association (IDA) financing to support Benin's efforts to enhance urban mobility. The initiative focuses on creating a safe, reliable, and environmentally friendly public transportation system in the Grand-Nokoué region.
The Grand Nokoué Sustainable Urban Mobility Project aims to revolutionize transport across five communes: Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Semè-Podji, Abomey-Calavi, and Ouidah. The project will establish a multimodal urban transport system that is safe, inclusive, efficient, and resilient to climate change. This system will prioritize certain corridors and aim to serve 270,000 people initially and expand to 360,000 daily passengers over time. Additionally, it seeks to professionalize informal transport operators such as motorcycle taxis (zemidjan) and minibuses (Tokpa-Tokpa).
To align with decarbonization goals set by the government of Benin, the project promotes low-emission transport options like electric motorcycles while facilitating the introduction of electric buses and boats. This initiative will support an e-motorcycle fleet renewal program and foster a local e-mobility industry ecosystem that aligns with job creation objectives.
Nestor Coffi, World Bank Country Manager for Benin stated: "The rapid urbanization of the towns of Greater Nokoué poses real challenges to urban mobility and makes residents increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks and poverty. This financing will not only unlock the region's economic potential and improve productivity but also strengthen social inclusion and environmental sustainability." He added that this transformative project provides opportunities in the e-mobility sector while boosting job creation through enhanced productivity and innovation.
The project is expected to bolster economic competitiveness by improving access to employment for 2.8 million residents in Grand Nokoué. It anticipates generating 17,000 jobs through fleet renewal and developing the e-mobility ecosystem; this includes 800 formal jobs in public transport services along with an additional 1,000 positions during infrastructure construction phases. Furthermore, about 65,000 Zemidjan operators are projected to gain better social protection along with quality employment opportunities.
This undertaking is aligned with the Grand Nokoué Urban Mobility Plan completed by Benin's government in December 2020 which outlines strategies for achieving safe efficient sustainable urban mobility alongside adequate urban development proposing a shift from road infrastructure towards a multimodal vision of public transport.