• Benin considers hosting a pan-African cultural event inspired by FESMAN but plans to use a different name.

• Culture Minister Jean-Michel Abimbola confirms the openness during the Vodun Days cultural festival.

• The initiative aligns with Benin’s strategy to position itself as a leading African cultural tourism hub.

In line with its ambition to become one of Africa’s leading destinations for cultural tourism, Benin does not exclude launching an initiative similar to the World Festival of Black Arts (FESMAN). Jean-Michel Abimbola, Benin’s Minister of Culture, confirmed this position to Agence Ecofin. He addressed the issue during the Vodun Days, an annual event dedicated to Vodun art, culture, and spirituality, which represents Benin’s traditional religion.

“This is not certain that we will necessarily reuse the existing name, but we are likely to create events that bring together the world and bring together Africa on our national territory, obviously,” Abimbola said. He added that Benin’s cultural promotion ambitions naturally support an interest in projects of this scale.

“The Benin has an ambitious museum policy. We have a number of art galleries that are installed […], an 11,000-seat arena under construction. Therefore, there are a number of elements that will make Cotonou a point of attraction for the entire continent in this field, because we are a country of culture, we are a country of history, and we intend to be recognized as such,” Jean-Michel Abimbola said.

The last edition of FESMAN took place in 2010, when Senegal hosted the event. Organizers first outlined the idea of the festival in Paris in 1956 during the Conference of Black Writers, before further development in Rome in 1959. The initiative led to the first edition in Dakar in 1966. Since the third edition, following those held in Senegal in 1966 and Nigeria in 1977, organizers have not staged another FESMAN.

This article was initially published in French by Servan Ahougnon

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum