On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Energy, Water and Mines of the Republic of Benin, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Dine Mahma SALIOU, a three (03) day- regional workshop, from March 24 to 26, 2026, of Actors and Partners on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and Inland Fishing in the Transboundary Niger Basin, was officially opened at Benin Royal Hotel in Cotonou (Benin).

Ahead to the opening speech delivered by the Minister of Energy, Water and Mines, the Niger Basin Authority (NBA)’s Supervising Minister in Benin, following speeches were delivered respectively by: (i) The Coordinator of the NBA’s National Focal Structure (NFS) in Benin, Director General of Water (DGEau), Mr. Saïd Kolawolé HOUNKPONOU, (ii) the Assistant to the Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Benin, Mr. Mohamed Sanni Bio YERIMA, (iii) the World Bank Representative in Benin, Ms. Bérengère PRINCE on behalf of the NBA Partners and the NBA Executive Secretary, represented by the Director of the Niger Basin Observatory, Mr. Didier Sèyivè ZINSOU.

 This regional workshop, co-convened by FAO, NBA and partners, aims to: (i) ensure the integrated management of water resources as well as associated ecosystems and inland fishing in the Transboundary Basin of the Niger Basin and, (ii) co-design joint initiatives, while mobilizing the required resources for their implementation.

Specific objectives of the Regional Workshop include:

- To review the current status of inland fishing and other key agri-food systems in the Niger Transboundary Basin;
- To introduce participants to the FAO intersectoral framework for integrated basin assessment and agri-food systems management using inland fishing as an entry point;
- To further develop pilot initiatives demonstrating the effective integration of inland fishing using IWRM approaches; and
- To identify opportunities to mobilize financial and technical resources to support sustainable investments in inland fishing using IWRM approaches in the Niger Basin.

The expected outcomes of this workshop are as follows:

1. Validated country profiles and a shared understanding of cross-cutting issues.
2. Collaborative development, among the countries, of pilot project concepts for the sub-basins.
3. National focal points able to begin the scoping and baseline data establishment work for Phase 1.
4. A joint roadmap, including a timeline, responsibilities, and resource mobilization strategies.
5. Identification of opportunities for cross-border cooperation among the sub-basins.

 About fifty participants are attending the regional workshop in person, while around twenty participated online. These included representatives from: (i) international financing and development institutions, (ii) pan-African and regional institutions, (iii) national institutions responsible for IWRM and inland fisheries in NBA member states, and (iv) the NBA Executive Secretariat. The workshop's outcomes and conclusions form the basis for long-term collaboration between NBA and FAO: the development of a memorandum of understanding and the implementation of regional projects in the Niger Basin. This workshop shall provide an opportunity to translate national knowledge into transboundary pilot projects that integrate fisheries into the governance of the Niger River Basin.