Sectors such as building and public works (BTP) lie at the heart of national development. In Benin, one of the country’s flagship projects, which is helping to restore the image of the economic capital and several other cities, is being carried out by many hands.
One December morning in 2025, in Adjagbo on the outskirts of Cotonou, the morning mist had barely begun to lift when the sounds of BTP machinery could be heard. In the distance, cranes could be seen positioning stacks of prefabricated paving stones for transportation to road construction sites. Even before reaching the area, over a distance of about 5 km, one can spot four operational bases of BTP companies and around ten warehouses.

Speaking to the workers reveals that they hail from Nigeria, Benin, Togo and China. Some of the workers have accents that give away their origins, as do the conversations heard in this corridor, which is crossed by a laterite road. Yet the reality is quite different.
‘This is a Togolese company, but not all of the workers are Togolese. Some are Togolese and some are Beninese. Our supervisors come from various countries, including Senegal and Mali,” says Kossivi, heading towards his worksite with two colleagues, his helmet and safety vest firmly in place.
However, the company operating the cranes is Chinese. The machine operators themselves are Beninese, as is one of the operational base managers coordinating the work. The diversity of employees from different backgrounds is evident here, too. “Most of the people working on the sites come from various countries across the sub-region. There are also Asians,” explains Edouard, a young machine operator involved in material handling.

Opportunities for development and skills transfer
Specialised bases in the prefabrication of road construction materials are a vital part of the operational backbone of the Asphalt Paving Project. This major initiative of the Beninese government is driven by the Programme d’Actions du Gouvernement (PAG) 2021–2026 (Government Action Programme (PAG) 2021–2026) and aims to modernise cities by rehabilitating and upgrading urban road networks through asphalt and stone paving. This will improve traffic flow, reduce pollution and stimulate economic development.
The project covers cities such as Cotonou, Abomey-Calavi, Porto-Novo and Parakou, as well as many others, and includes related infrastructure such as solar street lighting, drainage channels and green spaces.

The companies involved in the Asphalt Paving Project in Benin are a mix of international and local businesses. Edouard has noticed the coexistence of workers and specialists from diverse backgrounds working side by side. “Working with people from different backgrounds brings us new knowledge that adds to our own expertise,” he says. He argues that, once the non-nationals leave, local workers will be able to put their newly acquired skills into practice.
From heavy machinery mechanics to operating specialised equipment for handling materials and laying asphalt, there is a high demand for highly skilled specialists in this sector.
This reassures the young Beninese man in his early twenties, who is convinced of the benefits that professional collaboration between people from different countries, such as Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Morocco and China, can offer, particularly in terms of sharing experience and transferring skills.

Socio-economic challenges

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.