Benin: Launch in Nikki of the 3ᵉ edition of the Northern Zone Regional Handicraft Fair, featuring 75 exhibitors

Benin launched on Friday, August 21, 2026, in Nikki, the 3ᵉ edition of the Northern Zone Regional Handicraft Fair, bringing together 75 exhibitors until August 30, 2026. The ceremony was chaired by the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Employment Promotion, in charge of Vocational Training, Awaou Baco, according to a government press release of the Republic of Benin distributed by Africa Newsroom (APO). The event is organized by the ministry through the Fonds de Développement de l'Artisanat (FDA), in partnership with the Chambre des Métiers de l'Artisanat du Bénin (CMA-Bénin). Its start coincides with the traditional Gaani festival, a deliberate choice by the FDA Director, Cletus Nestor Guezo, who sees it as an opportunity to offer artisans "a great showcase, that of a festive city drawing a considerable crowd from all over the country and beyond Benin's borders." Lucie Katagnan, representing the president of CMA-Bénin, stressed that "for three years now, many talents have been uncovered thanks to the holding of the Regional Fairs." Minister Awaou Baco urged exhibitors to "dare to innovate and dare to go further," reminding visitors that "by coming to this Fair, you are not just buying a product, you are encouraging a woman or a man." For the 75 exhibitors from northern Benin, the fair offers ten days of direct marketing and networking with an audience broadened by the influx of visitors to the Gaani, a festival that extends beyond Benin's borders. By aligning the event with this festive calendar, the FDA maximizes the commercial visibility of northern artisans. This strategy, renewed for the third consecutive year, is part of a national policy to structure the handicraft sector led by the SME Ministry, aiming to reduce economic disparities between North and South while progressively formalizing a largely informal sector.