ALE Country Profile
Benin
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The Ministry of Secondary Education, Technical Education and Vocational Training (MESTFP) is the official institution of the Beninese government responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring national policy on general secondary education, technical education, arts and crafts and vocational training.
It has three central directorates, including the Directorate of Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages (DAPLN), which is responsible for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the government’s policies and strategies in the areas of literacy, adult education/training, and the promotion of national languages. The DAPLN works in synergy with the Literacy and National Languages Promotion Support Fund (FAAPLN), the government body responsible for mobilizing resources to finance non-formal education, adult literacy activities, and the promotion and development of local languages throughout the country.
The Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Employment Promotion (MPMEPE) is involved in vocational and technical training and accreditation, particularly the Certificate of Qualification for Trades (CQM) and the Professional Qualification Certificate (CQP) for learners who successfully complete their training.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAEP) incorporates functional literacy into its rural development programmes. The aim is to enable illiterate agricultural producers to master farm management tools and improve their autonomy and productivity.
The 2018–2030 Post-2015 Education Sector Plan (PSE) is the main reference document for the education sector in Benin. It places emphasis on alternative education, skills development, and capacity building, while also addressing issues related to literacy and the education of youth and adults.
This framework is complemented by the National Strategy for Literacy and Adult Education (SNAEA), which provides the strategic framework for the literacy and adult education sub-sector. The SNAEA places particular emphasis on educational inclusion, the development of national languages, and the integration of digital technology into literacy programmes, notably through a platform for functional literacy and vocational training, as well as the website, which provides digital educational resources.
In the area of educational alternatives, Benin has also adopted the 2026–2030 Strategy for Strengthening Educational Alternatives for Inclusive Basic Education (SRAE), approved by the Council of Ministers in September 2025. This strategy aims, among other things, to strengthen and institutionalise educational alternatives for out-of-school children and early school dropouts, and to promote a more diverse and inclusive range of educational opportunities.
To promote Adult Learning and Education (ALE), the Government is implementing various projects and programmes, the main ones being:
- The National Literacy Programme: Structured as a comprehensive three-level curriculum comprising initial literacy (for people aged 15–49), post-literacy, and vocational training;
- The Programme for Improving the Quality of Teaching/Learning/Assessment: Included in the Government Action Programme (PAG), it aims to improve teaching standards and standardise assessment in non-formal education centres;
- The “Faire-Faire” Programme: Fully funded by the State, this initiative delegates the delivery of literacy courses to selected NGOs and local organisations;
- The Programme to Support Decentralised Literacy Management (PAGEDA): Implemented in partnership with the Swiss Cooperation, it transfers the governance and management of learning opportunities directly to municipalities;
- The Agricultural Farm Management Literacy Programme (PAGEA): Focused on learning numeracy, reading, and writing skills directly related to agricultural work. It enables farmers to use management tools in their daily activities;
- The Productive Dynamics Support Programme (PADYP): Uses visual and oral facilitation methods (skits, storytelling, and images) to address beneficiaries’ limited formal education and train them in maintaining management records (cash books, stock sheets);
- The Cross-Cutting Approach: Literacy is often integrated into Family Farm Management Advisory Services (CEF) modules and projects supported by technical partners, with the aim of training tens of thousands of citizens, particularly in the northern part of the country (Borgou and Alibori).
The teaching materials and manuals related to Literacy and Non-Formal Education (AENF) are developed by the Directorate of Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages (DAPLN). These include facilitator guides, learning kits, and training modules, which can be accessed by clicking on the following links: INFRE Downloadable Resources Directory and Directory of Teaching Manuals.
The Literacy and Non-Formal Education (AENF) sub-sector receives support from Technical and Financial Partners (TFPs), including:
- Swiss Cooperation
- UNICEF
- French Development Agency (AFD)
- UNESCO
- World Bank
- Global Partnership for Education (GPE)
- Plan International
- Educo
- Handicap International
- Action Education
- European Union
DVV International operates through its implementing partner, Pamoja Education Benin. The Pamoja Education network conducts advocacy to strengthen the quality of education in general, and youth and adult education in particular. In addition to advocacy, the network builds the capacity of its members, conducts studies to advance the adult education sub-sector, and promotes participatory approaches such as the REFLECT to empower communities.
NGOs and associations involved in youth and adult education are organised into a national network known as RENOPAL (National Network of Private Operators for the Promotion of Literacy and Languages). The network serves as an interface between the ministry responsible for literacy and private literacy operators. The establishment of the network in 2008 contributed to professionalising the sub-sector and increasing its visibility.
To professionalise the sub-sector, INJEPS trains adult education specialists (andragogues). The Department of Language Sciences and Communication at Abomey-Calavi University trains linguists specialising in the teaching of African languages and adult education. Some training programs of the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) and the Institut de Formation en Alphabétisation et Éducation non-Formelle (IFAENF) of Niger, as part of the Regional Program to Support the Quality of Education (PRADUE), are delivered in Benin.
Despite the multitude of stakeholders and the considerable efforts, the AEA sector faces major challenges, including the limited promotion of a literate environment. Indeed, only 1% of the education budget is allocated to the sub-sector, while the Local Government Development Support Fund (FADeC) for the promotion of literacy is not yet operational or extended to all administrative departments of the country. The “faire-faire” (contracting out) strategy is not systematically and regularly implemented, and private operators do not yet have a legal status that facilitates public procurement procedures.
The future is guided by the National Development Plan (PND 2026–2035), approved on May 13, 2026, by the Government of the Republic of Benin, as well as by the country’s long-term strategic vision. The AENF sub-sector is expected to move beyond its status as merely a second-chance alternative and become a pillar of endogenous development and human capital development.
Latest from MOJA
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Webinar Recording - Traditional approaches to adult learning and education (ALE) in Africa, case of Benin Republic
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WEBINAR: Traditional approaches to adult learning and education (ALE) in Africa, case of Benin Republic
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FR EN -
Etude analytique de la situation de l'Alphabétisation au Bénin- Afrique de l'Ouest
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FR
