Benin's urban boom comes at a human cost

By Emmanuel Akinwotu

Published January 20, 2026 at 4:46 PM EST

In West Africa, tiny Benin is riding a coastal building boom — but beneath the cranes and construction, new inequalities are taking hold.

Emmanuel Akinwotu

Emmanuel Akinwotu is an international correspondent for NPR. He joined NPR in 2022 from The Guardian, where he was West Africa correspondent.

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