Benin’s newly elected president, Romuald Wadagni, has unveiled sweeping changes to the organization of government operations during the inaugural cabinet meeting of his 2026–2033 term.
The major structural reforms include transitioning the Council of Ministers to a monthly schedule and officially reinstating a dedicated Ministry of Communication. Wadagni, who was sworn into office on Sunday, May 24, following his victory in the April 12 presidential election, succeeds Patrice Talon, who completed his two constitutionally mandated terms at the helm of the West African nation. Presiding over his very first cabinet assembly, the incoming president used the platform to immediately set the administrative tone and policy direction for his administration.
Under the newly established operational framework, the Council of Ministers will now hold its ordinary sessions specifically on the first Wednesday of every month, though extraordinary meetings can still be convened whenever urgent national matters arise. To maintain administrative continuity between these monthly sessions, an interministerial committee will gather on the first and third Mondays of each month, which will be further supplemented by targeted sectoral cabinet meetings held between the two primary bodies.
In another major policy shift, the Ministry of Communication makes a formal return to the cabinet lineup after being abolished under the previous Talon administration. Addressing the media, government spokesperson Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji firmly rejected any suggestion that bringing back the portfolio reflected a past policy failure. He characterized the ministry’s prior dissolution as merely a temporary interruption and expressed absolute confidence that the newly appointed minister, Aurélie Adam Soulé Zoumarou, will do remarkable work collaborating alongside the press and various media sector stakeholders.
Turning to the legislative priorities of his seven-year mandate, President Wadagni identified the total eradication of extreme poverty and the robust strengthening of national security as the core pillars of his government’s agenda. He explained that poverty reduction would be heavily driven by a more meaningful and equitable regionalization of development projects across Beninese territory. Wadagni concluded the historic session with a stern warning to his cabinet, urging his ministers to view their appointments not as a matter of personal privilege, but rather as a sacred custody of the nation’s trust. He emphasized that every member of the government is bound by a strict obligation of exemplary conduct, humility, absolute integrity, and executive solidarity.
AC/lb/abj/APA