Benin education minister outlines priorities during oueme plateau tour

In his first official engagement since taking office, Benin’s Minister of Preschool and Primary Education, Armand Kuyema Natta, launched a working visit to the departments of Ouémé and Plateau on July 29, 2026. The two-day tour focused on direct exchanges with sector leaders to assess current performance and identify strategic priorities for strengthening the national education system.

The minister, accompanied by his senior advisor Paulin Gbenou, met with departmental directors, technical supervisors, and heads of institutions under his ministry’s supervision. Discussions centered on operational challenges and opportunities to enhance teaching and learning conditions across the country’s youngest learners.

During the meetings, Kuyema Natta outlined his vision for the sector through two core commitments: reinforcing existing achievements and driving innovation. He urged education stakeholders to build on recent progress while introducing fresh initiatives to elevate educational standards. Emphasizing collaboration, he positioned himself as a partner to frontline educators, advocating for continuous dialogue to address ground-level realities.

The minister highlighted remarkable outcomes from the 2026 primary school certificate exams, alongside successful implementation of new curricula and robust monitoring systems. These milestones, he noted, should motivate sustained efforts to further improve success rates at all educational levels.

Addressing Staffing and Infrastructure Gaps

School administrators and regional officials raised critical concerns during the discussions. Their primary requests included urgent recruitment of additional teachers, enhanced professional development programs for educators, and upgraded technological resources for central and technical directorates.

A key administrative transition was also addressed—the planned relocation of ministry services to the Cité administrative d’Ahossougbéta. While confirming government commitment to this move, Kuyema Natta did not provide specific timelines or operational details, indicating further announcements would follow.

The minister’s tour continues today in the departments of Atlantique and Littoral, where he will engage with local education actors to gather insights and address sectoral challenges in real time.