$37.1 million for Benin's rural young people: training, start-up backing and a path to 21,000 jobs

In Cotonou, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Government of Benin have signed a $37.1 million financing agreement for ProPEA, an eight-year project to help rural young people build working lives in the food economy. The programme combines vocational and entrepreneurship training with start-up support, business advice, access to finance and insurance, aimed at agriculture, aquaculture and poultry value chains — with climate risk built into the planning, not bolted on. Around 50,000 rural households — more than 360,000 people — are expected to be supported, with young people making up 60% of participants and explicit inclusion of women and people with disabilities. By 2033, the goal is employment opportunities for 21,000 young people. IFAD's regional director for West and Central Africa, Bernard Hien, signed for the fund. Rural youth unemployment is one of West Africa's defining pressures; this is what a serious, financed answer to it looks like — training tied to real businesses, in the places young people already live.

SDG 8 · Decent work and economic growth — Mechanism: funding & finance