The Azalaï beach hotel in Cotonou hosted the official launch, on Thursday 12 November 2020, of the Project to Support the Strengthening of the Digital Economy Ecosystem in Benin (DigiBoost).
The Project to Support the Strengthening of the Digital Economy Ecosystem in Benin (DigiBoost) was officially launched on Thursday 12 November 2020 at the Azalaï beach hotel in Cotonou by Mr Gaspard DATONDJI, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital Affairs and Digitalisation, representing the Minister of Digital Affairs and Digitalisation, in the presence of Ms Mélanie XUEREB, representing the Resident Representative of Enabel in Benin, and Mr Ruben ALBA AGUILERA, Head of Cooperation of the European Union.
Funded to the tune of 1.8 billion CFA francs by the European Union’s West Africa Competitiveness Programme (“WACOMP”), DigiBoost aims to strengthen and consolidate the ecosystem by supporting startup support structures (incubators, accelerators, FabLabs, co-working spaces, etc.) and relations between stakeholders within and outside the Beninese ecosystem. The project is implemented by the Belgian development agency “Enabel”, with the Ministry of Digital Affairs and Digitalisation as implementing partner.
“Through DigiBoost, the European Union is stepping up its activities in Benin in the digital field,” said Mr Ruben ALI AGUILERA, Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Benin. This project offers the opportunity to gradually digitalise the national economy, he stressed. “The DigiBoost project is a concrete expression of our determination to offer increasingly innovative projects that meet the core expectations of our partner countries. It is also an opportunity to reiterate our ambition to reduce social and economic inequalities by using information and communication technologies as a catalyst for economic dynamism and social inclusion,” added Ms Mélanie XUEREB, representing the Resident Representative of Enabel in Benin.
Mr Gaspard DATONDJI, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital Affairs and Digitalisation, on behalf of the Minister of Digital Affairs and Digitalisation, thanked Enabel for its involvement in delivering the DigiBoost project, which fits perfectly with the Government’s vision for the sector. “DigiBoost dovetails with the Digital Entrepreneurship Support Fund (FAEN), whose mission is to develop the digital entrepreneurship ecosystem by providing startups with financial and technical support,” he added. Finally, he said he hoped that, with the implementation of the DigiBoost project, innovative business ideas would emerge and inspire future generations of Beninese in this field.