As part of the support and advocacy mission to Benin to expedite the implementation of the Programme for the Integrated Development and Adaptation to Climate Change in Benin (PIDACC/BN-Benin), on the morning of Wednesday, February 18, 2026,

In Cotonou, H.E. Kocou Armand HOUANYE, Executive Secretary of the Niger Basin Authority (NBA) and his delegation were granted an audience by Mr. Robert Masumbuko, Resident Representative of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Country Office in Benin, in the presence of his staff, including Ms. Jamila HEDHLI, Senior Country Program Officer for Benin.
In the afternoon of the same day, the NBA Executive Secretary held a working session with partners of the PIDACC/NB-Benin Component and the European Union Delegation (EUD) to Benin (EUD-Benin). The NBA delegation was accorded a gracious reception by both institutions.

Through the Resident Representative of the AfDB Country Office in Benin, the NBA Executive Secretary reiterated the Authority’s profound gratitude to the AfDB Group, its President, and its partners, for their unwavering support throughout the preparation and financing phases of the PIDACC/NB.

The NBA Executive Secretary subsequently articulated a series of actions required from the AfDB, in conjunction with the relevant Beninese national authorities, to:

- speed up the implementation of the PIDACC/NB-Benin Component;
- achieve a significant improvement in the Programme’s performance in Benin by the end of June 2026, and;
- sustain this positive trajectory to ensure high-level performance and the achievement of impactful results in strengthening the resilience of populations and ecosystems in the Beninese portion of the Niger Basin, ahead of the revised PIDACC/NB Programme closure date of December 31, 2027.

The discussions also addressed the prospects for Phase 2 of the Programme. In response, the Resident Representative of the AfDB Country Office affirmed the Bank’s commitment to a diligent appraisal of all substantiated requests submitted by the national authorities concerning measures aimed at accelerating the implementation of the PIDACC/NB in Benin. The Senior Country Programme Officer for Benin further reassured the NBA Executive Secretary and his delegation that measures would be taken to prioritize and expedite the review of all requests related to the implementation of the PIDACC/NB in Benin.

At the EU Delegation in Benin, the Mission was received by Mr. Jean HUCHON, Programme Officer in the Cooperation Section, and Mr. Christian Frigaard RASMUSSEN, Head of the Investment and Green Deal Section.

The NBA Executive Secretary expressed the Authority’s profound gratitude to the EU Delegation in Benin and the entire European Union Commission (EUC) for their pivotal role, in synergy with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other technical partners, in financing the PIDACC/NB. He also underscored the efforts directed towards:

- the significant acceleration of the pace of Programme implementation by June 2026 ending;
- the creation, by decision of the NBA Summit of Heads of State and Government, of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Fund in the Niger Basin and its effective operationalization, and;
- the initiation of the formulation process for the Programme Phase, scheduled to commence at the start of the second half of 2026.

On the same occasion, the NBA Executive Secretary informed the partners of the EU Delegation in Benin and the EU Commission of the forthcoming resumption of the NBA Partners Advisory Committee meetings. He extended a formal invitation for their active participation in its operation. He concluded by issuing a compelling call for strengthened cooperation between the EU Commission and the NBA for:

- increased structural investments designed to guarantee water, food, energy, and environmental security in the Niger Basin;
- a stable, secure, peaceful, and resilient Niger Basin, and;
- a significant improvement in the living conditions of the more than 180 million people living in the Niger Basin .

Following the meetings with the Representative of the AfDB Country Office and the EU Delegation Partners of the PIDACC/NB-Benin, the Executive Secretary expressed renewed confidence in a substantial improvement in the Programme’s performance.

This will ensure that the formulation of Phase 2 of the Programme commences in strict alignment with the timeframe desired by the Niger Basin Authority’s Governance Bodies.