Friday, May 31, 2024 Antoine Ababe Houssou, a 62-year-old fisherman, has spent his life on the lagoon near Benin’s capital, Porto-Novo. However, he now faces displacement due to the “Porto-Novo green city” project, a French-backed initiative aimed at boosting tourism and protecting the environment. “I have nowhere to go if they take me out of here,” Houssou lamented.
Financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), the project aims to revitalize the area around the lagoon between Lake Nokoue and Lagos, Nigeria. While intended to enhance the neighborhood, it poses a significant threat to the traditional fishing communities residing there. AFD director in Cotonou, Jerome Bertrand-Hardy, believes the project will benefit everyone by improving local infrastructure and environmental conditions.
Since his tenure began in 2016, Beninese President Patrice Talon has launched numerous schemes to attract tourism. However, the inhabitants of the lagoon banks, who primarily rely on fishing for their livelihood, are resisting the forced relocation. “Ten months ago, city hall notified us that we had one month to leave,” said Leopold Padonou, a 44-year-old fish farmer.
“We formed an association to defend ourselves and wrote to everyone, but we got no response.” An estimated 1,000 households, approximately 5,000 people, are affected. City officials marked houses for demolition two months ago, but residents like Padonou received no further details.
Despite the improved infras.
