• The government plans a “video protection” system in five cities and several border areas.
• Cameras will support crime prevention, traffic enforcement, and border monitoring.
• The project builds on a broader push to use digital tools to manage road traffic.

Benin’s government has approved the deployment of a video surveillance system in five cities and several border areas, part of a broader effort to strengthen public security and improve oversight of cross-border movements.

The initiative was announced after a Cabinet meeting on March 4. Authorities say the system will help prevent crime, support judicial investigations, and improve traffic enforcement in both urban and intercity areas.

The cameras will enable automated traffic fines and are expected to encourage better compliance with road safety rules. Officials also hope the system will help reduce road accidents and lower the economic costs associated with traffic-related insecurity.

Similar systems have already been implemented elsewhere in West Africa. In Côte d’Ivoire, where the technology has been in operation since 2021, authorities report that road deaths have declined on roads equipped with surveillance cameras, according to a 2023–2024 report published by the Ministry of Transport in June 2025.

The report indicates that between January and November 2024, authorities recorded 8,928,453 traffic violations, including 7,113,790 fines issued through video-based enforcement. Over the same period in 2023, the system registered 11,226,854 violations, including 4,595,021 fines.

Most of the offenses involved speeding, running red lights, illegal parking, using mobile phones while driving, and failing to wear seat belts.

In Benin, the decision to install cameras in certain border towns carries particular significance. Road corridors play a central role in the movement of goods and passengers across the region, and authorities see the system as a tool to strengthen border monitoring.

Officials say the technology could help combat illicit trafficking and the circulation of illegal weapons while improving oversight of cross-border trade.

The project also fits into a broader government strategy to modernize transport management through technology. In an interview with Ecofin Agency in May 2025, Ranti Akindès, director general of the Road Infrastructure and Territorial Planning Agency (SIRAT), said Benin plans to rely more heavily on digital tools, including connected devices, to improve traffic management.

However, several operational challenges remain. Reliable connectivity, equipment maintenance, data protection, and the training of personnel responsible for managing the system will all be critical to its success.

In several African countries that have adopted similar surveillance systems, these factors have often determined whether such projects remain effective over time.

Henoc Dossa