A seasoned cultural heritage consultant and President of TOWARA-BENIN—the only Béninese NGO accredited by UNESCO—Marcel Zounon holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance and Management Control from the University of Abomey-Calavi, earned in 2007.

As the world economy pivots toward intangible value and authenticity, Bénin stands at a decisive crossroads. As the cradle of Vodoun, a land of ancient monarchies, living arts of unparalleled virtuosity, and a youth brimming with creative fire, our nation possesses a treasure few can rival. Yet a paradox endures: this exceptional heritage remains an economic giant left slumbering. For too long, culture has been treated as mere embellishment or a decorative budget line.

Our vision for 2035 is bold, systematic, and sovereign: to elevate culture into the fourth pillar of Bénin’s economy. This is not about nostalgic celebration, but about forging a productive sector that generates wealth, decent jobs, and balanced territorial development. To achieve this systemic shift, eight major initiatives must be launched without delay.

1. Legal imperative: rescuing artists from precarity through law

   A robust economy cannot stand on shifting legal sands. While Bénin has taken initial regulatory steps, the moment demands a quantum leap forward. The status of artists and cultural workers—and the creation of a House of Artists—cannot hinge on fragile decrees, which are inherently reversible and vulnerable to political whims.

   Sustained progress requires laws passed by the National Assembly—texts that guarantee lasting legal stability and real enforceability. Until such laws are enacted, the immediate, rigorous, and binding implementation of existing decrees should serve as a provisional bridge.

   It is time to enshrine protections for creators, modernize copyright governance, grant sweeping tax incentives to private investors, and legally recognize professions tied to intangible cultural heritage. Securing the artist is the foundation of every investment.

2. Human capital: rebuilding elite cultural engineering

   The lifeblood of a thriving creative economy is its human resources. Amateurism must give way to elite professionalization. Bénin must launch a massive upskilling program covering artistic disciplines, cultural management, entrepreneurship, conservation and restoration techniques, and digital technologies applied to heritage. Every district should become a talent incubator, aligning training with local specificity and needs.

3. Sanctuaries of knowledge: specialized schools and centers of excellence

   To institutionalize this transmission, the country’s academic architecture must rest on three pillars:

   • National Higher School of Arts: Training ground for the avant-garde of contemporary performance (dancers, choreographers, scenographers, technicians).
   • Higher Institute of Cultural Heritage: Cutting-edge scientific laboratory dedicated to safeguarding tangible and intangible heritage, museography, and archives.
   • Academy of Arts and Béninese Traditions: A sacred space for cultural diplomacy and transmission, where master practitioners document and legitimize ancestral knowledge for future generations.

4. Physical footprint: building world-class infrastructure

   Creativity demands venues worthy of its ambition. Bénin’s territorial network must be strengthened with modern, versatile, and decentralized infrastructure—from community cultural centers to regional theaters, digital creation hubs, and artisan villages. Every department should have the physical tools needed for creation, production, dissemination, and public engagement.

5. Financial revolution: unlocking creative investment

   Artistic boldness without financial backing is a mirage. We advocate a three-dimensional financial architecture to propel the creative economy:

   • National Cultural Development Fund: Focused on pure creation, research, and international mobility.
   • Creative Economy Window within financial institutions: offering low-interest loans, guarantee mechanisms, and loans tailored to the unique cycles of artistic production.
   • Public-Private Cultural Investment Fund: Capable of raising capital from government, local authorities, the private sector, and the diaspora.

6. Value-chain approach: from craftsmanship to visual arts

   Bénin’s cultural sector suffers from fragmentation that dilutes its impact. Whether in cinema, fashion, music, dance, or publishing, each discipline must be structured as an autonomous industrial value chain. This requires a decade-long strategic plan, dedicated training pathways, specialized distribution channels, and aggressive marketing strategies targeting regional and international markets.

7. Intangible heritage: the Béninese singularity as an economic asset

   Our masks, ritual rhythms, initiation narratives, and artisanal craftsmanship are not mere folklore—they are priceless intangible assets. By investing in the digitization of collections, certifying heritage festivals, and creating national cultural itineraries, Bénin can transform its living traditions into powerful drivers of local development and tourism appeal.

8. Strategic convergence: culture, tourism, and agro-industry in harmony

   Bénin’s global resonance hinges on an organic symbiosis between culture, experiential tourism, and agro-industry. Elevating local products through an aesthetic lens and creating territorial excellence labels will allow every region to turn its culture into a compelling economic narrative. The tourist of 2035 will not merely seek a landscape—they will seek to live a culture, taste a terroir, and inhabit a story.

On the road to 2035

Building tomorrow’s Bénin demands breaking free from the rent-seeking paradigms of the past. By 2035, our country has the historic opportunity to shine as the lighthouse of the creative economy in sub-Saharan Africa.

This transition is not poetic—it is high-stakes statecraft. By equipping our artists with a protective and ambitious legal framework, financing boldness, and sanctifying our memories, we will make culture the engine of sustainable, inclusive growth—proudly rooted in Béninese genius. The hour is not for decree promises; it is for sanctification through law and decisive action.