Benin Benin Benin ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Benin () and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. The majority of its population lives on the small southern coastline of the Bight of Benin, part of the Gulf of Guinea in the northernmost tropical portion of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of Benin is Porto-Novo, but the seat of government is in Cotonou, the country's largest city and economic capital. Benin covers an area of and its
Science and technology in Benin factors like underinvestment, this situation has resulted from the relatively low political commitment to science, technology and innovation on the part of individual countries. Across the subregion, there is: The region's first Policy on Science and Technology was adopted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2011. This policy tackles many of the issues outlined above. The main challenges facing research and development in Benin specifically are: In Benin, it is the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research which is responsible for implementing science policy. The National Directorate of Scientific and Technological Research handles planning and