World Bank Approves $180.7M to Strengthen Land Tenure and Forest Management in Benin

The first operation, a $100 million Performance for Results (PforR) financing, will go toward supporting Terra Benin, the national land tenure management program.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved two International Development Association (IDA) financings amounting to $180.7 million to support critical development goals in Benin. The funding will boost the country’s efforts to improve land tenure security and enhance the integrated management of its classified forests, with a strong focus on sustainability, technology, and community engagement.

$100 Million PforR Boosts Land Tenure Reforms

The first operation, a $100 million Performance for Results (PforR) financing, will go toward supporting Terra Benin, the national land tenure management program. This ambitious initiative seeks to modernize and streamline land administration processes across the country, with a special emphasis on simplifying and accelerating land registration.

Scope of the Terra Benin Program:

• The program will target 14 municipalities, encompassing 124 rural and urban districts in 11 departments.

• Around 1.5 million land parcels will be mapped, of which 1 million will be officially registered using enhanced technologies and streamlined procedures.

• The implementation will prioritize digital land certification through e-Foncier Benin, which will be strengthened using disaster risk data integrated via support from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR).

Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, the World Bank Division Director for Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Togo, emphasized the broader development potential of this intervention:

“This program will have large-scale impact by using technology to accelerate the electronic issuance of land certificates in both rural and urban settings. Secure access by every citizen to an official land document is the foundation for all economic development, particularly in the agricultural sector, which employs the most people.”

The initiative is expected not only to empower citizens with formal land rights but also to catalyze agricultural productivity, stimulate local economies, and serve as a replicable model for other countries.

$80.7 Million for Phase 2 of Gazetted Forests Management Project

The second financing package of $80.7 million will fund Phase 2 of Benin’s Gazetted Forests Management Project, a long-term endeavor to protect and restore the country’s forest ecosystems while supporting livelihoods and climate resilience.

Building on the accomplishments of Phase 1, the second phase will:

• Reforest 20,000 hectares of degraded lands with fuelwood and timber plantations, adding to the 26,000 hectares reforested in the first phase.

• Enhance sustainable practices such as agroforestry, sustainable agricultural intensification, and forest plantation maintenance.

• Bolster opportunities for carbon financing by supporting the government's efforts to access carbon credit markets.

• Foster greater synergy between agricultural management and forest conservation, helping reduce deforestation and promote carbon sequestration.

Impact of the First Phase:

• Improved management across 63% of Benin's gazetted forest areas.

• Sequestration of 3 million tons of CO₂-equivalent.

• Direct income benefits to 50,660 people, including 32% women, through support for non-timber forest products, agroforestry, and reforestation activities.

• Approximately $36 million in earnings transferred to participating communities, enabled through innovative financing mechanisms tied to environmental services.

Nestor Coffi, the World Bank Country Manager for Benin, highlighted the multidimensional benefits of this effort:

“Sustainable forest management supports economic development and reduces poverty. It preserves the environment while generating income for communities through reforestation and seedling maintenance. This project will also strengthen the synergies between improved agricultural management and forests to reduce deforestation and enhance carbon sequestration.”

A Sustainable Development Vision

Together, the two IDA financings represent a strategic alignment of Benin’s national development goals with global climate, sustainability, and poverty alleviation objectives. By leveraging digital innovation and promoting community participation, these programs aim to create a transformative and replicable blueprint for land tenure reform and sustainable environmental stewardship across Sub-Saharan Africa.