African manatee in both coastal areas and isolated inland areas, genetic evidence suggests no significant differences between the two populations. The African manatee falls under the genus "Trichechus" with only two other species, the Amazonian manatee and the West Indian manatee, which are also sirenians. African manatees can be found in West African regions: Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Manatees are found in brackish waters to freshwater: in oceans, rivers, lakes, coastal
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