Economic growth and deomcratic decline: the ‘cotton king’ who reshaped Benin
Originally published by Africa | The Guardian — Read the original article →
Patrice Talon has transformed the west African country’s economy and infrastructure at the expense of political freedom
In recent years, a building boom has reshaped Benin’s largest city, Cotonou, and a shiny new coastal road has reduced journey times to Ouidah, the west African country’s spiritual and cultural capital.
In the last decade, Benin’s annual GDP has grown from 3% to 6%, a regional high, and an industrial zone has been launched north-west of Cotonou to help industrialise the relatively small nation’s largely informal economy.