External view of Ganhi Market. Screenshot from video “Mise en service de marché urbain à Cotonou : LE MARCHÉ DE GANHI REMIS SUR LES RAILS DE LA MODERNITÉ” on Benin Libéré Télévision's YouTube channel. Fair use.

Cotonou’s contemporary, elevated Ganhi Market, located in the heart of Cotonou, Benin, opened to the public on December 7, 2024, serving as one of several new markets launching throughout the city. The markets are part of a broader government-sponsored urban development initiative to beautify Cotonou, Benin's capital, and offer more modern commercial spaces.

Ganhi market opened to the public in December, 2024. Vendors have set up shop in the modernized commercial space, selling predominantly produce and foodstuffs. Photo by Megan Fahrney, use with permission.

Beninese President Patrice Talon, who has been in power since 2016, announced the closure of the city’s largest market, Dantokpa, in 2018. Dantokpa spans 25 hectares of space and holds over 35,000 vendors and is one of the biggest markets in all of West Africa. It can be described as the economic and cultural heart of the city. One can buy nearly anything at Dantokpa, from fabric to DVDs to goats.

The largest sector of Benin’s economy is agriculture and fishing. Cotton, yam, cassava, maize, peanuts, soy and palm products are the largest crop outputs. The economy is heavily dependent on informal cross-border trade with Nigeria. Ninety percent of Benin’s workforce engages in the informal economy.

Safety and sanitation concerns in Dantokpa

Among the primary reasons Talon cited for closing Dantokpa is fire safety. Dantokpa has been the site of several major fires in recent years, the latest occurring in 2022. Sources of the fires likely include short circuits, illegal gasoline and hazardous building infrastructure, though causes of specific incidents are generally unknown.

According to a BBC article, in 2022, fires caused enormous damage, and the cramped conditions in the market led to delays in the fire department's response. Due to the crowded setup of the market and its obstructed aisles, firefighters took four hours to extinguish the 2022 fire.

Le dernier de grande ampleur en date remonte à novembre 2022 et a fait des dizaines de millions de pertes selon les témoignages des sinistrés rencontrés par BBC Afrique. L’incendie qui s’était déclaré à deux heures du matin, heure locale, n’avait pu être maîtrisé qu’après quatre heures de lutte acharnée des pompiers.

The most recent large-scale fire dates back to November 2022 and caused tens of millions in losses, according to the victims interviewed by BBC Afrique. The fire broke out at 2 a.m. local time, and was brought under control only after four hours of fierce fighting by the fire department.

Hygiene and sanitation reasons are also cited as causes of Dantokpa’s closure, as improper treatment of waste and sewage in market spaces has posed health concerns for merchants and consumers.

Benin’s Government Action Plan of 2021–2026 promises “better functioning of sanitary infrastructure” as well as the development of urban central spaces.

New markets open their doors

In an attempt to compensate for Dantokpa’s closure, which is scheduled for finalization at the end of the year, 35 new markets are set to open throughout Cotonou. Ganhi, Midombo, and Akassato markets are several examples. Midombo Market, located in the eastern Akpakpa zone of the city, is similar in size and design as Ganhi Market. It opened on November 25, 2024, just two weeks before Ganhi’s opening.

Construction of the Wholesale Market in Abomey-Calavi is underway and scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. Image from 24 Heures au Benin, used with permission.

Some vendors are relocating to the new Akassato Wholesale Market in Abomey-Calavi, which will serve in part as a site for vendors to buy goods to sell at smaller shops throughout the city. Currently, smaller-scale merchants purchase goods in bulk at Dantokpa and resell them for a profit at their shops.

Akassato Market is scheduled to open December 31, 2025, officials recently announced.

Speaking in a national television broadcast, Alimatou Shadya Assouma, minister of industry and trade, said that on this date, Dantokpa will effectively be closed. That gives Dantokpa traders and government officials until the end of the year to make arrangements.

At Ganhi, vendors’ sentiments toward the new market are mixed.

Josefine, a Ganhi vendor, began selling various produce and foodstuffs immediately upon the market’s opening in December. She offered praise for the new commercial space.

“It is very good for the public,” said Josefine. “It is more civilized … and much more clean.”

Justline Ojougade, on the other hand, said she is unhappy with the amount of business she receives at Ganhi. Because the market is so new, Ojougade explained, not enough people know about it and her sales have not been doing well.

Uncertainty for Dantokpa vendors

As for vendors currently making their living at Dantokpa, the market’s closure has caused concern. Merchants have been aware of the impending changes since 2018, but where they will be relocated to and when that will happen continues to be unknown for many.

Journalist Cam Cado discussed the impact of the market’s closure with Dantokpa merchants in her video called: “Dantokpa : la fin d'une époque” ( “Dantokpa: The End of an Era”):

In this video, many of the vendors expressed that it would be difficult to move, especially at first, because their families have been accustomed to doing business there for generations. However, some recognized the new markets could offer better opportunities in the future. At the end of the day, they have no choice, they say.

There are rumors among shopkeepers that merchants will be relocated according to the category of product sold, which many worry will hurt their business, as Dantokpa centralizes all product types in one convenient location.

Some vendors have advocated instead for Dantokpa to be redeveloped rather than completely destroyed.

Célestine Zanou, chief of staff to former president Mathieu Kérékou, has publicly campaigned to save Dantokpa to preserve Beninese identity and culture.

Zanou wrote the destruction of Dantokpa is “disastrous” and was conceived “in the minds of those in power who confuse development with the satisfaction of personal desires.”

Many Dantokpa vendors fear moving for spiritual reasons as well. The market is believed to be protected by a deity called Dan, represented by a snake, which watches over the space and brings customers.

The closure of Dantokpa marks a monumental shift in Cotonou’s commercial, social and cultural life. In the coming year, Beninese will await the reorganization of market traditions that have shaped their daily routines for decades.

Megan Fahrney is a US Fulbright fellow. The views expressed are solely the author’s and do not represent the views of the United States government.