Bordered by Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Niger, Benin has a 121-kilometer-long coastline on the Gulf of Guinea. Benin's economy is heavily reliant on the informal re-export and transit trade with Nigeria (estimated at approximately 20% of GDP), and on agriculture. Despite a recent downward trend, the poverty rate remains high, at 46.4% in 2018, with a poverty line of $1.90 a day in purchasing power parity. Female-headed households experience lower levels of poverty (28% compared to 38% for male-headed ones), but generally women suffer from a lack of economic opportunity and are under-represented in high-level decision-making positions (World Bank, 2020).
Funding opportunities
Related articles
Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Professor Paul Monks, will deliver a keynote speech at COP26, marking the work and impact of the Met Office...
By Wan Nur Syazana Wan Mohamad Ariffin, Eva Vivian Justine, Muhammad Ashraf Abdul Rahman, Nurul Kamila Mohd Yusof, Wan Mohd Syazwan Wan Solahudin (GCRF Blue Communities Malaysia) “I have...
Dengue is the fastest spreading mosquito-borne viral disease in the world. About half of the world’s population is at risk. There are an estimated 100-400 million infections each year, with...
Global Challenges Research Fund
We help UK and international researchers and innovators address the key issues affecting developing countries.
Newton Fund
We build research and innovation partnerships with countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to support social and economic welfare, tackle global challenges and develop talent and careers.