Benin: agreement between AFD and EPA for a scientific research program

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On a working mission in Benin, the Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) signed a partnership agreement with the School of African Heritage (EPA) on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The signing ceremony of the protocol of this agreement focused on a research program on the restitution of royal treasures to Benin, took place at the EPA headquarters in Porto-Novo.

The French Development Agency and the School of African Heritage are officially starting a scientific cooperation around a research program entitled “Restitution of cultural property in Benin: between public policies and heritage issues.” Lasting for 3 years, this program aims to contribute to the establishment of a theoretical and operational framework for analyzing the social and legal-political processes that structure the restitution of cultural property, their heritage status, and their place in the “new” development cooperation paradigms.

For Rémy Rioux, Director General of the French Development Agency, this initiative is in line with the vision of President Patrice Talon, who aims to make Benin a world-renowned tourist destination. “The AFD Group is strongly committed to promoting culture and heritage, at the request of the Beninese government. Our collaboration with the EPA contributes to the training of professionals in African heritage and capitalizes on the magnificent Beninese experience of restitution, which inspires many countries in Africa and beyond,” he said.

On his part, the Director of the School of African Heritage, Franck Ogou, expressed his honor at this new era in relations between France and Africa, and between the EPA and the AFD in particular. “I am very honored by today’s visit, which inaugurates a new era in relations between France and Africa in general and between the EPA and the AFD in particular. This cooperation, which will expand to other issues, will allow the only training institution in the field of heritage in Africa to provide African States with technical frameworks capable of addressing the challenges faced by African heritage. We will continue to work with the AFD teams in this direction,” said Franck Ogou, Director of the EPA.

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What is the research program on restitutions in Benin?

Housed within the EPA, the program is initiated and implemented in partnership with the Laboratory of Analysis and Research on Religions, Spaces and Development (LARRED) at the University of Abomey-Calavi and the Laboratory of Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology (LAAB) at the University of Paris-Saclay. It is open to students, doctoral candidates, teachers-researchers, researchers, cultural heritage professionals, and other actors involved in the processes of restitution of cultural property in Benin, Africa, and France.

The research program aims to provide tangible results related to knowledge, conservation techniques, community representations, and heritage that can be disseminated for better management of heritage in Africa. Ultimately, the EPA aims to establish a research center for development in the field of heritage in Africa.

The visit of the Director of the French Development Agency to the EPA offices also served as a platform for an exchange with 29 students in heritage conservation mobilized for the second “collections worksite” taking place from March 18 to 29 in partnership with the French National Heritage Institute (INP). This activity aims to put students in practical learning situations and is part of the Abomey project, which aims to strengthen the capacities of African heritage actors beyond the construction of the museum and the renovation of the site.

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As a reminder, the French Development Agency is a public financial institution that implements France’s development policy, acts to combat poverty and promote sustainable development. Present in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Outermost Regions, this public institution finances and supports projects that improve living conditions, support economic growth, and protect the planet.