5,000 direct jobs already created in the GDIZ

Société d’Investissement et de Promotion de l’Industrie (SIPI-BENIN S.A.) is pleased to announce that five thousand (5,000) people are working in the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone Zè-Bénin (GDIZ).

Two years after its creation, and one year after the start of the first construction works, GDIZ becomes a main actor of the job creation for the benefit of the Beninese youth.

In Benin, creating decent jobs in large numbers, especially for youth and women, is a priority. The objective of full employment and decent work, ranked eighth in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8), appears to be an imperative that the Government of President Patrice Talon is addressing in a holistic manner.

Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone, born from the will of President of Benin to add value to the export products in the Republic of Benin and to promote better opportunities for wealth creation and employment for the population, already counts more than five thousand (5,000) workers. These workers include administrative staff, contractors and site workers. The Zone also generates countless business and indirect employment opportunities.

Secure jobs

This figure is a concrete expression of the promise of SIPI-BENIN S.A., a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the Republic of Benin and ARISE Integrated Industrial Platforms (IIP), to create jobs for Benin’s youth.

GDIZ contributes to the realization of the PAG II (2021-2026) of the Government of Patrice Talon which intends to generate more than one million three hundred thousand (1,300,000) direct and indirect jobs.

SIPI-BENIN S.A. also invests in the training of young Beninese for the provision of qualified and quality personnel to the industrialists installed within the GDIZ. The operationalization of this vision has resulted in the construction of a Garment Training Center (GTC). The Center is already functional and has more than heigh hundred (800) trainees. They receive quality training from experts from different countries. The first T-shirts, shirts, and polo shirts “Made in Benin” were created during the training sessions thanks to the will, diligence and ingenuity of these very talented young Beninese learners.

Job creation within GDIZ will grow very rapidly in the coming years. By the end of 2022, twelve thousand (12,000) direct jobs are expected, as well as three hundred and fifty thousand (350,000) by 2030. One hundred thousand (100,000) jobs are expected in the processing of cashew nuts, shea nuts, pineapples, soybeans, etc. In the spinning, cotton weaving and garment manufacturing sector, two hundred thousand (200,000) to two hundred and fifty thousand (250,000) jobs are expected.

In addition to job creation, the GDIZ aims to promote and attract agricultural, industrial, commercial and service investments; to encourage direct investment, both Beninese and foreign; to promote the development of national production and natural resources; to develop the manufacturing industries of primary, secondary and tertiary processing; to increase the competitiveness of products “Made in Benin”.

A strong corporate culture

At GDIZ, we celebrate equality, diversity and are committed to creating a sustainable and inclusive environment for all employees. We work to develop a positive corporate culture that ensures every employee has a safe and rewarding workspace. Achieving this goal would not be possible without the involvement of all stakeholders. We have instructed all investors who have signed contracts to reserve plots of land to settle their factories in the Zone to scrupulously respect law n°98-004 of January 27, 1998, on the Labor Code in the Republic of Benin.