Benin President visited Rwanda to borrow a leaf on Kagame’s governance

President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame and his counterpart Patrice Talon in the joint press conference

President of Republic of Benin, Patrice Talon yesterday concluded a three-day state visit to Rwanda aiming to buy a leaf of outstanding achievements realized by President Kagame’s administration.

During the joint press conference on Wednesday held in the presidential Palace, Village Urugwiro, Benin’s President spoke his mind about the motives behind his official visit to Rwanda few months after his election.

“What interested me [to visit Rwanda] is in relation with the action, reconstruction, development, governance. On that, there is nothing to demonstrate; there is no shame to say the model Rwanda has managed to set thanks to President Paul Kagame. We all know that Rwanda is an exemplary in terms of development, governance,” Patrice Talon noted.

The newly-elected president, Patrice Talon began his visit on Monday by honoring 250,000 Genocide Victims laid to rest at Gisozi Memorial Centre and visited Special economic zone, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) as well as developmental projects in Nyamasheke and Rubavu Districts in the Western Province.

During his three-day visit, he explored some Rwanda’s touristic attractions where he appreciated inroads made by Rwanda, adding that “Benin has a number of touristic compartments as I have noticed in Rwanda because I didn’t go through the whole country. It is a sector in which we can promote the tourism.”

With the almost same population, Benin which is four times bigger than Rwanda, its economy largely depends on Cotton exports bringing in 80% which represents 40 percent of GDP

Rwanda has started to ban progressively second-hand clothes imported from outside the country and seeks to fix a trade deficit gap by soaring exports from “made-in” Rwanda products including clothes but raw materials like cotton and fiber to turn into garments would likely be imported from Benin as there abound there.

President of Benin also named “King of Cotton” said, “Benin is the producer of cotton, Benin can supply fiber for textile factories which are going to be set up here.”

According to the Ministry of industry and trade (MINICOM)’s statistics, light manufacturing (textile and garments, pharmaceuticals, soaps among others materials) accounts for $124 million which may be caught up down the road.