COTONOU, Benin — Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, widely seen as the frontrunner in Benin’s presidential election, pledged to push economic reforms even further as campaigning wrapped up ahead of Sunday’s vote.
Addressing thousands of supporters in the commercial hub of Cotonou on Friday, the 49-year-old candidate positioned himself as the natural successor to President Patrice Talon, who is stepping down after completing the constitutional two-term limit.
“We are going to move forward, go even further with what began before your very eyes,” Wadagni said, pointing to a decade of reforms that have driven one of West Africa’s fastest-growing economies.
Benin recorded a robust 7.5 percent growth in 2024 — its strongest since 1990 — with the World Bank projecting an average of 7.1 percent growth between 2025 and 2027. Wadagni has anchored his campaign on sustaining this trajectory while refining policies to address gaps.
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Seeking to shed his technocratic image, the Harvard-trained economist adopted a more approachable campaign style, delivering short, unscripted speeches, ditching formal attire, and engaging directly with voters across the country.
He outlined plans to expand access to microcredit and give traders greater participation in managing modern markets that have replaced informal trading hubs.
“You can’t do everything overnight, especially when you’re a country with few natural resources,” he said, emphasizing gradual but steady progress.
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Wadagni faces a single challenger, Paul Hounkpe, a former culture minister representing the FCBE party. Running a more subdued campaign, Hounkpe has focused on lowering the cost of basic goods and securing the release of opposition figures jailed under Talon’s administration.
The election, however, has drawn scrutiny after the main opposition party, The Democrats, was barred from participating due to failure to meet signature requirements — raising concerns about political inclusivity.
As voters head to the polls, the contest is shaping up as a referendum on continuity versus change, with Wadagni promising to consolidate economic gains while his opponent calls for relief measures and political reforms.
