According to a recent report released by the International Monetary Organization, the economic growth rate of Benin, a West African country, is expected to reach 63%, more than the average increase in African countries. In recent years, Benin has accelerated its digital transformation and proposed to increase the contribution of the digital economy to 25% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2026, which has promoted the country's economic development.
In its National Action Plan for 2016-2021, Benin has made a clear plan for the digital economy, using information technology as a catalyst for the development of the digital economy. During the implementation of the plan, six major projects have been invested, with an investment amount of more than 800 million euros, increasing the share of the digital economy in GDP to 6% and creating more than 90,000 direct jobs. In the National Action Plan 2021-2026, Benin** proposes to focus on strengthening the construction of the national broadband network, connecting broadband to remote areas, improving network speed and network stability, and striving to achieve full Internet coverage by 2026.
Benin is one of the first countries in Africa to set up a Ministry of Digital Economy, whose main function is to promote the development of the national digital economy and promote the digital transformation of various industries. Benin** has accelerated the construction of e-government and provided e-visa services for foreigners since 2018. When the reporter interviewed in Benin a few days ago, he learned that people can pay taxes online, pay for water, electricity, communications and other expenses, and complete dozens of services related to people's livelihood.
Benin has also cooperated with institutions such as the United Nations** and the Conference on Development (UNCTAD) to launch relevant digital products. For example, the digital service platform launched by the Benin Investment and Export Promotion Agency has made it easier to register a company and encourage more young people to start their own businesses. UNCTAD data show that between 2019 and 2022, the number of young people aged 18 to 30 more than tripled from 7,416 to 23,312 in the group of registered businesses in Benin. Ogilardo is the founder of a Benin-based company specializing in smartphone anti-theft trackers. "I applied to set up a company through the digital government platform, and all the processes were completed online, which saved a lot of time," Ogilardo said. ”
Frank Grozel, UNCTAD's Head of Business Facilitation, said that Benin** is committed to building a digital business environment that enables businesses to thrive while innovating services. Benin** Talon said that establishing Benin as a digital service hub for the West African region is conducive to promoting economic development and social inclusion.
In the process of promoting digitalization, Benin attaches great importance to expanding cooperation with Chinese enterprises. The first and second phases of the Benin National Broadband Network and the National Education Electronic Network have all involved Chinese enterprises. Chinese companies are also actively cultivating digital talent for the local community. During an interview with Huawei Benin, the reporter learned that in 2023, the company will conduct 18 special trainings for local employees and send 5 outstanding employees to Huawei's Shenzhen headquarters for training.
Since 2016, Chinese companies have been providing systematic training for communication students from Beninese universities. So far, more than 200 students have participated in the relevant training. Chinese companies have also donated hard decoration practice bases to Beninese colleges and universities to provide better conditions for students to practice hands-on, which is expected to benefit more than 3,000 college students by 2026. Feng Jianming, head of the enterprise business of Huawei Benin, said in an interview with this reporter that Chinese enterprises have provided human resources support for the development of Benin's communication technology and digital transformation.