The very beginning of the interview started with concerns about the Embassy of Benin in Berlin. Indeed, there has not been an Ambassador in Berlin for the past year, since Amb. Isidore Bio retired. Currently, his Chargé d’affaires Madame Gabrielle C. Aïko Ahossi has replaced him with the help of the High Council. Mr Tévi explained that both the Embassy and he, work on building bridges between Benin and Germany but also on gathering people to events related to Benin and also giving them a safe place to go.

‘We need to better use and control the human resources of the country’, said Mr Tevi when he spoke about his project. For him, the best way to answer the challenges which his country faces at the moment, is to bring to Benin systems that will allow the government to know exactly what the human resources of the country are and to be able to communicate easier with the rural areas in Benin. Benin’s terrain and lack of infrastructure ensure that this is very difficult to achieve. An administrative reform to manage human resources would not only help the government to manage the country in a more precise way, but would also enable the country to stop depending on the numbers given by international organisations. This ambitious project would bring the country together and would modernise it in numerous ways; it would make it easier for schools and hospitals to distribute the resources equally for example.

In order to achieve his project, Mr Tevi maintains that he ‘can count on Germany’s support’. For example, some of their projects are financed by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and KFW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau) and other German organisations. Cooperation with Germany enhances the growth of Benin and gives individuals the opportunity to learn from others. Indeed, Mr Tevi explained that Germany and Benin are very alike in the way that they ‘play with technical intelligence’ as they have no mining resources. Together with Germany and other partner countries, ‘Benin will go from being an under developed country to an emerging one!’ exclaimed the Federal Delegate.

Benin can count on the support of Ulrich Tevi, a young man inspired by his father who wants to gradually change the face of Benin. Indeed, he explained that Benin needs to start by controlling small things and to raise awareness about computer science. Explaining to people how computer science has the potential to help the government in order to manage the country in a better way and to solve problems quickly. Benin wants to be an example of modernisation to all of Africa, it wants to lead the way to better management and to a better understanding of their country and their people. The projects of the Federal Delegate and of this student and entrepreneur will be presented in July, during a presentation to investors in Cotonou, the economical capital of Benin.

Mr. Savinien Dossou-Yovo, a structural engineer from Benin then emphasised that ‘the development of Benin only come from ourselves’. Indeed, the country has been counting on Germany and more generally on Europe to finance most of their projects but Africa should finance its projects as well, involve the people in building their future.

We would like to thank Mr Nazaire Tevi, Mr Ulrich Tevi and Mr Savinien Dossou-Yovo who took the time to tell us about the projects and the future of Benin. If you want to know more about Benin, check out the website of the Embassy of Benin in Berlin:

• References: http://www.ambassade-benin.de

News from Berlin
Julie Essertel, Berlin Global