The boon and bane of Cotonou′s construction boom | All media content | DW | 02.04.2021

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Africa

The boon and bane of Cotonou's construction boom

Benin's largest city Cotono, with a population of 800,000, is the country's economic capital. The city has been growing in recent years, which brings along a number of problems.

  • Two people and one man on a motor bike pass a blocked off construction site in Cotonou

    The whole city is a construction site

    More and more people want to move to Benin's largest city, Cotonou. But the city needs better infrastructure to cater for all these people. By 2021, a total of 237 kilometers (147 miles) of road are to be built, renewed and repaired — and that's just in Cotonou alone. This initiative was launched by the government of President Patrice Talon.

  • A modern building next to unfinished houses

    Marina prestige project

    The new Marina building is one of Cotonou's prestige projects. The coastal road runs from the Erevan supermarket along the harbor to Avenue Clozel — an area with numerous stores. A six-lane road has been built over several kilometers. However, there are a number of unfinished buildings along the marina that have been sitting there for years — and construction work has all but stopped.

  • A man standing in front of his house in Cotonou

    Half of the house gone, no compensation

    Elsewhere, entire homes have to be removed to make way for the new roads. Laurent Ganfled knows what that's like. Parts of his house were demolished when a new road was built through his increasingly popular Fidjrosse neighborhood right by the beach. That means two rooms and one bathroom were destroyed. "Although we protested against it, there has been no compensation so far," he said.

  • A construction worker laying cement

    The dream of home ownership

    New buildings are springing up all over the Fidjrosse district — and it's not just the government that's erecting new houses. Unlike in the past, these are often apartment buildings or villas, often with two- or three-stories. Undeveloped plots of land are hardly available anymore. The value of those few strips of land that are available has tripled in recent years.

  • Houses built right next to each other in Cotonou

    Small houses kicked to the curb

    Small houses and cottages often have to give way to new and bigger buildings. Those are then built right up to boundary of the next plot of land. That comes with unintended consequences: The new buildings often block each other's view — which obviously irks their respective residents. A true downside of the boom.

  • A worker cleaning the city's sewage system

    Cleaning up the city

    As the city's population grows, so does waste. That's why the state waste management company SGDS-GN started operations in 2018. In addition to garbage collection, which is currently free of charge, the company is responsible for cleaning up the sewage system. For weeks, employees have been on the road all over the city to get this done. A laborious task.

  • Senan Abraham Avakoudjo, secretary general of the National Association of Architects and Urban Planners in Benin

    Did anyone say urban planning?

    Despite these measures, Senan Abraham Avakoudjo, secretary general of the National Association of Architects and Urban Planners in Benin, says there's a lack of sustainable planning. "If you want to preserve the social mix, you have to take a more global approach." It is not enough to upgrade individual neighborhoods, he said. Above all, poorer people shouldn't be pushed out of the city.

  • Martine Avinou frying yams in her backyard

    50 people in one backyard

    Many people who have to get by with little income live relatively isolated lives in Xwlacoji, a fishing neighborhood between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoue. One resident is Martine Avinou who makes a living from selling fried yams. Her family has two small rooms with no toilet or bathroom. Sometimes up to 50 people sleep in the backyard.

  • A man walks past lined up taxis in Cotonou

    What about traffic?

    Despite the poor housing situation, it is out of the question for many people to move away from the center. There is no regulated local transportation in Cotonou. So far, there are only "Benin Taxis." The yellow cabs can be hailed by phone and are available at several locations in the city. However, a ride costs upward of €1.50 ($1.76).

  • Moped taxis in the city center of Cotonou

    The city of Zems

    Most people therefore continue to rely on the Zemidjans — or zems. These moped cabs are often the fastest means of transportation — for example, around the Dantokpa market, the largest in the entire country. However, the drivers are repeatedly involved in accidents.

  • People on the beach

    The sea is getting closer

    But Cotonou has another problem: The city cannot grow anymore as it borders Lake Nokoue in the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. And the Atlantic is getting ever closer. In the former "Zone des Ambassades," entire houses have already disappeared, and others are no longer habitable. Stone walls on the beach are now intended to protect against further flooding.


  • Two people and one man on a motor bike pass a blocked off construction site in Cotonou

    The whole city is a construction site

    More and more people want to move to Benin's largest city, Cotonou. But the city needs better infrastructure to cater for all these people. By 2021, a total of 237 kilometers (147 miles) of road are to be built, renewed and repaired — and that's just in Cotonou alone. This initiative was launched by the government of President Patrice Talon.

  • A modern building next to unfinished houses

    Marina prestige project

    The new Marina building is one of Cotonou's prestige projects. The coastal road runs from the Erevan supermarket along the harbor to Avenue Clozel — an area with numerous stores. A six-lane road has been built over several kilometers. However, there are a number of unfinished buildings along the marina that have been sitting there for years — and construction work has all but stopped.

  • A man standing in front of his house in Cotonou

    Half of the house gone, no compensation

    Elsewhere, entire homes have to be removed to make way for the new roads. Laurent Ganfled knows what that's like. Parts of his house were demolished when a new road was built through his increasingly popular Fidjrosse neighborhood right by the beach. That means two rooms and one bathroom were destroyed. "Although we protested against it, there has been no compensation so far," he said.

  • A construction worker laying cement

    The dream of home ownership

    New buildings are springing up all over the Fidjrosse district — and it's not just the government that's erecting new houses. Unlike in the past, these are often apartment buildings or villas, often with two- or three-stories. Undeveloped plots of land are hardly available anymore. The value of those few strips of land that are available has tripled in recent years.

  • Houses built right next to each other in Cotonou

    Small houses kicked to the curb

    Small houses and cottages often have to give way to new and bigger buildings. Those are then built right up to boundary of the next plot of land. That comes with unintended consequences: The new buildings often block each other's view — which obviously irks their respective residents. A true downside of the boom.

  • A worker cleaning the city's sewage system

    Cleaning up the city

    As the city's population grows, so does waste. That's why the state waste management company SGDS-GN started operations in 2018. In addition to garbage collection, which is currently free of charge, the company is responsible for cleaning up the sewage system. For weeks, employees have been on the road all over the city to get this done. A laborious task.

  • Senan Abraham Avakoudjo, secretary general of the National Association of Architects and Urban Planners in Benin

    Did anyone say urban planning?

    Despite these measures, Senan Abraham Avakoudjo, secretary general of the National Association of Architects and Urban Planners in Benin, says there's a lack of sustainable planning. "If you want to preserve the social mix, you have to take a more global approach." It is not enough to upgrade individual neighborhoods, he said. Above all, poorer people shouldn't be pushed out of the city.

  • Martine Avinou frying yams in her backyard

    50 people in one backyard

    Many people who have to get by with little income live relatively isolated lives in Xwlacoji, a fishing neighborhood between the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Nokoue. One resident is Martine Avinou who makes a living from selling fried yams. Her family has two small rooms with no toilet or bathroom. Sometimes up to 50 people sleep in the backyard.

  • A man walks past lined up taxis in Cotonou

    What about traffic?

    Despite the poor housing situation, it is out of the question for many people to move away from the center. There is no regulated local transportation in Cotonou. So far, there are only "Benin Taxis." The yellow cabs can be hailed by phone and are available at several locations in the city. However, a ride costs upward of €1.50 ($1.76).

  • Moped taxis in the city center of Cotonou

    The city of Zems

    Most people therefore continue to rely on the Zemidjans — or zems. These moped cabs are often the fastest means of transportation — for example, around the Dantokpa market, the largest in the entire country. However, the drivers are repeatedly involved in accidents.

  • People on the beach

    The sea is getting closer

    But Cotonou has another problem: The city cannot grow anymore as it borders Lake Nokoue in the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. And the Atlantic is getting ever closer. In the former "Zone des Ambassades," entire houses have already disappeared, and others are no longer habitable. Stone walls on the beach are now intended to protect against further flooding.


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