On October 24, 2017, the African School of Economics (ASE) hosted a workshop on “The New National Planning for Sustainable Development in the South”, an international research project involving researchers from Benin, Togo, Ghana, Lithuania, and numerous other countries around the world. Funded by the Global Fund for Research, the research project is based at the University of Manchester’s Global Development Institute and has been implemented in partnership with the University of Ottawa and ASE. Academic papers dedicated to national development planning have seen a reemergence over the past 5 years, as developing countries strive to capitalize on economic globalization for sustainable development projects. The National Planning project is aimed at tracking and examining such policies in the Global South, to determine effective and accountable development planning procedures.

The workshop focused on new development planning projects in Benin, examining new planning trends, as well as the Benin’s national planning history, to highlight potential implementation strategies and results of current development policies. Organized by the African School of Economics, the workshop was attended by numerous actors involved in national planning, including academics, local authorities, public administrative leaders, and civil servants.

ASE’s research team, represented by Dr. David Gbaguidi (Assistant Professor, ASE), and Professor Munro Lauchlan (University of Ottawa) presented their preliminary work surrounding Benin’s national planning history and contemporary situation. After this presentation, the researchers opened up the floor for questions, comments, and discussion.