Located in the heart of Cotonou, on the shores of Lake Nokoué, the Missèbo market  has become, over the years, a space for mixing between various communities in West Africa. Covering an area of five hectares, this very popular second-hand clothing market in Benin, is run by various communities  from the sub-region and mainly from Nigeria.  “Dialogue Migration” zooms in on this space where the notion of nationality is diluted in inter-community exchanges and inter-community mixing.

Friday, January 27, 2023. It is the opening day of the bales of thrift stores at  the Missèbo market  located  in the commune of the same name in Cotonou.  Sellers and buyers are swarming in an unusual atmosphere. Between rickshaw, unpacking, and approaching customers, the atmosphere is good business  in this largest second-hand market in Benin.  There are clothes of all kinds, clothing accessories (shoes, bags …) second-hand imported from Western countries.

In this market, several communities coexist: Nigeriens, Beninese, Ghanaians, Togolese, Senegalese…. And Nigerians are the most represented community. In addition to French, the official language of Benin  and Fon, the country’s usual language, English, Igbo from  Nigeria, Zarma from  Niger and Mina from neighboring Togo are widely spoken.

Alice has been working for eight years in this space where she runs a small shop.  This Beninese woman sells sheets, tablecloths and blankets. She loves the atmosphere in this space, but she says that integration happens very quickly in this multicultural market. “Cohabitation is not smooth.  Sometimes we quarrel; but we always end up getting along.  It’s the business that unites us after all,” she says.

Life in an African community

In Missèbo, there is  a real melting pot with a strong West African community.  There is no discrimination or favoritism in the marketing of products or the localization of stands.  “We all practice the same activity even if we do not come from the same countries and we do not necessarily speak the same languages. But we understand each other well and we talk business,” says Alice.

A few meters from Alice’s location, Daniel, who is from Nigeria, tries to hook customers. He sells jeans pants. Daniel says he feels at home in Benin where he has lived for seven years. His brother who brought him from his native Nigeria left him his shop before going to Europe. Daniel integrated well. His conviction: “Nigeria and Benin are practically the same country for me. I don’t see myself as a stranger here. I am in West Africa. I’m in my house.”  He believes that the Beninese authorities do not bother him too much, even if he is sometimes subject to identity checks.

Francis has been selling sports shorts in the Missèbo market for over 10 years. Even if for many, business no longer turns out as before, Francis analyzes it philosophically. “The situation is not serious if we are able to manage the day-to-day. It’s the money that’s a little lacking and the goods don’t flow as they used to,” he says.  Of Nigerien origin, he was born in Benin in 1982. His parents are Nigerien merchants previously settled in the country.  He studied until the 5^th grade before following in his parents’ footsteps in commerce in the early 2000s.

He welcomes the cohabitation in Missèbo. According to him, having different nationalities means nothing since all the occupants of the lieux are Africans. “We came to do business and not to fight.  And each of us here can be at each other’s house tomorrow,” he said.

At the back of the Missèbo market, the atmosphere is noisier. Umbrellas, vendors and buyers do business.  Sabi, a Beninese salesman runs on the lookout for customers to lead them to his stall in a shack.  According to the thirty-year-old, even if people come from different backgrounds, we just have to cultivate living together.

This market has become a mecca of second-hand clothes for Beninese. And buyers leave the different parts of the country, as well as neighboring Nigeria, to buy products.

Although business seems to be going well for the merchants, they will soon have to turn the page “Missèbo”, since a relocation to a new site located in the commune of Sémé-Podji is planned. This, in order to expand its capacity for security reasons. The proceedings are currently ongoing.