• Benin began the final recruitment phase for 250 assistant lecturers to address a long-standing shortage in public universities.

• The University of Abomey-Calavi needs 3,200–3,500 teachers to meet regional standards but currently employs only about 800.

• Union representatives warn that staff shortages have created excessive workloads that threaten teaching quality and faculty well-being.

Benin is accelerating efforts to expand its public higher-education system as rising student numbers put pressure on academic capacity. The government is mobilizing new academic resources to improve supervision and support student success.

The Ministry of Labour and Public Service organized interviews on Friday, 21 November, for candidates shortlisted after the written exam of a national competition to recruit 250 assistant lecturers on a probationary basis. Officials held the session at Lycée Technique F. M. Coulibaly in Cotonou and brought together ministry and university representatives to assess pedagogical skills and the ability of candidates to supervise students.

Authorities launched the recruitment process in July through an interministerial decree that established the legal framework and ensured transparency. They published provisional lists of validated and rejected candidates in August, followed by a written exam and the call to final interviews, which represent the last step before appointment.

The initiative aims to address a structural shortage of academic personnel as public universities face rapidly rising student enrollments. Benin has struggled for years with inadequate staffing levels. According to data cited by local media in 2024, the University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC) requires 3,200 to 3,500 teachers to meet standards set by the West African Network for Excellence in Higher Education (REESAO). The university currently employs about 800 tenured lecturers.

With nearly 100,000 enrolled students, UAC faces severe teaching pressure. Union representative and geographer Gabin Tchaou said the shortage directly undermines teaching quality and overburdens faculty. “The few teachers who remain are overworked,” he said, noting that some staff teach from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with barely an hour of rest. “It’s a human being, not a robot,” he added, expressing concern for colleagues’ physical and mental health.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum