Benin power cuts persist as Nigerian supplier faces installation problems
Government spokesman Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji says repairs could take a small packet of months and that the Ogobis power plant now has financing.
Benin is suffering long electricity cuts that government spokesman Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji blamed on insufficient national production and on purchases from Nigeria and Ghana. Speaking to the press on 11 November 2026, he said a Nigerian supplier is having problems with its installations, which is weighing on supply to Benin. Consumers, who are no longer used to such long outages, are feeling the effect.
Technicians estimate that repairs and a return to optimal operation could take a small packet of months, the minister said. Following instructions from the head of state, the energy minister and his teams are working on alternative solutions to get through the period. The minister said national production covers a good part of needs, especially during the day and more in the evening, but the country still has to complete it with imports.
Houngbédji also announced that the Ogobis power plant, considered for many years, could finally become reality. He said the financing has been secured and the teams to run the project are being recruited and set up. A joint statement by SBPE and SBEE in early November had linked supply difficulties mainly to restrictions on energy imports from Ghana and Nigeria, and promised regular public updates.
Why it mattersHouseholds in Benin face long outages while alternative supply is sought, and the Ogobis plant is intended to add national capacity in the coming years.