Beninese President Patrice Talon has appointed the members of the Board of Directors of the Territorial Agricultural Development Agency (ATDA) for the Niger Valley.
The decision, formalized by a decree dated March 14, 2025, involves seven individuals from various public and local institutions. Their mandate is set for three years from the date of their official installation.
The newly formed Board will be chaired by Félix Gbaguidi, representing the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries—the agency’s supervisory authority. He will be joined by several representatives from key government bodies.
Among them are Hervé-Serge Houssou for the Presidency of the Republic, Amine Alassane for the Ministry of Development and Government Action Coordination, and Rufus Sare for the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Adamou Lamissi Boubakar, representing the National Chamber of Agriculture, is also part of the board, as is Gado Guidani, mayor of Malanville, designated by the National Association of Municipalities of Benin (ANCB) to represent local governments.
Through this composition, the Beninese executive aims to strengthen the governance of territorial agricultural development agencies by promoting diverse representation rooted in local realities. The stated objective is to ensure better coordination of agricultural policies within a framework of decentralized development and the enhancement of each region’s potential.
The ATDAs, established as part of the agricultural sector reform, are organized by geographic zones and tasked with implementing programs related to priority agricultural value chains in their respective areas. They play a central role in the national strategy for agricultural modernization, aligned with the goals of food sovereignty and inclusive growth.
The appointment of the new board members for the Niger Valley zone thus marks another step forward in strengthening Benin’s agricultural governance system.