The Building and Public Works (BTP) sector is recognised as a major driver of labour mobility in Benin and across the continent. Whether the work involves rehabilitation, asphalt paving or new construction, a large workforce is mobilised, drawn from both local communities and workers from within the country and the sub-region.
This employment-driven mobility highlights the growing importance of the road infrastructure sector in the Beninese and West African labour markets. The scale of the work has led to increased demand for labour.
Although detailed national statistics on the migration of workers to road construction sites are lacking, particularly due to the scarcity of sector-specific data, patterns of professional mobility linked to these projects can still be observed. These roadworks attract skilled and unskilled labourers, often from rural areas or neighbouring countries, particularly when contracts are awarded to major local and international companies.
For many young workers, these sites represent temporary or circular migration, as they leave their home environments for short periods to work on infrastructure projects in other regions of the country or overseas.
This type of mobility is recognised as a widespread form of seasonal or professional migration, although it remains difficult to measure accurately in Benin due to the lack of dedicated sectoral data.
Road construction sites generate direct and indirect employment, including on-site labourers, equipment operators and logistics personnel, as well as catering and supply services for work zones. This stimulates local economies in the regions where the projects are located, notably through the growth of commercial and service activities that develop around the sites.
Regional measures to the rescue!
At the regional level, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) estimates that millions of workers migrate within the region in search of employment opportunities, with many of them working in construction and services.
However, this migration to construction sites is not without challenges. Working conditions and social protection are major concerns. Many migrant workers operate within the informal economy, with limited social security and restricted access to healthcare and safe working conditions — a phenomenon documented across the region in sectors such as construction.
Moreover, in response to these challenges, regional initiatives are working to harmonise migration policies and promote professional mobility. ECOWAS has endorsed a Labour Migration Strategy aimed at strengthening safe mobility and protecting the rights of migrant workers in the subregion, including those from Benin.
According to experts, better data collection on worker flows linked to building projects, alongside policy frameworks that integrate professional migration into public project planning, could help maximise economic benefits while safeguarding workers.