Benin and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have agreed on an indicative $730 million portfolio for 2027-2028. The agreement, signed on 24 September, is meant to guide the identification and preparation of future investments in energy, transport and climate resilience.

That figure does not represent funding that has already been fully approved or disbursed. The AIIB states that selected projects must still go through preparation, due diligence and approval stages specific to each operation.

$250 Million linked to public policies

Of the $730 million under consideration, $250 million is expected to take the form of policy-based financing, aimed in particular at supporting Benin’s Vision 2060. The portfolio may also mobilise AIIB instruments dedicated to energy, food security, economic resilience and climate finance.

The agreement was signed by Rajat Misra, AIIB Director General for public sector clients in Region 1, and Hugues Oscar Lokossou, Minister Delegate in charge of Mobilising External Resources and Debt Management. AIIB President Zou Jiayi and Aristide Medenou, Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of Cooperation, attended the signing.

The AIIB’s first multi-year pipeline in Africa

The AIIB presents this arrangement as its first multi-year pipeline of its kind in Africa. It builds on the closer relationship with Cotonou in infrastructure financing.

This cooperation already rests on a first major commitment in transport. In December 2025, the AIIB signed a $200 million loan for the Grand Nokoué Sustainable Urban Mobility Project, part of a programme of about $500 million co-financed with other partners.