Cotonou (Benin), 28 June 2018 (ECA) – The Government of Benin, in collaboration with the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), has launched the Benin Country Profile on Structural Transformation, Employment, Production and Society (STEPS), in Cotonou, this Thursday, June 28.
The main objective, which is to speed up structural transformation, comprises the assessment of three intrinsic sections: Employment (E), Production (P) and Society (S). This conceptual framework responds directly to the need to transform economic and social structures, with employment having to play a key role in bringing together economic growth (production) and social development (society).
According to the STEPS Profile, the majority of school children in Benin are enrolled into general education programs.
The document points out that “Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is a minor sector, characterized by an over-representation of tertiary disciplines (the sciences and administrative technics of management), at a time when the structural transformation of the economy is in need of competent human resources to operate its agricultural and industrial revolution. The country has to match its educational options with its development ambitions”.
For the Director of Cabinet of the Minister of State for Planning and Development of Benin, Mr Rufino D’Almeida, this document will boost currently implemented policies in Benin.
Mr. Almeida noted that “The Profile will provide Benin with updated data, in order to focus ongoing discussions in the country.”
On his part, Mr. Dimitri Sanga, Director of the ECA Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, explained that this Profile, which potentially anticipates structural transformation, must be viewed from three angles: namely employment, production and society.
The 2018 Benin STEPS Profile was produced by the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the Benin’s National Institute for Statistics and Economic Analysis (INSAE) and UNICEF.
For more information, please contact:
Tahirou Gouro, Communication Officer
ECA-SRO/WA
Email:fouro2@un.org
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org