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2027 edition · Benin

i-Trade Africa Forum 2027

PROMOGO AI: intelligent, inclusive commerce for Benin’s trade hub and the West African corridor

Dates
Venue
Palais des Congrès, Cotonou / CICC — Blue Hall · Benin
Organiser
Organised by PROMOGO BENIN
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The forum

Hybrid summit with strong political, technological and media impact

The i-Trade Africa Forum brings together public authorities, modern-market traders, cooperatives, manufacturers, payment operators and financial partners to accelerate modern, intelligent and inclusive commerce in Benin and along the West African corridor. The forum launches the PROMOGO AI 2027-2029 programme.

Context and stakes

A natural crossroads between Nigeria, the continent’s largest market, and the Sahel, Benin has modernised its port, fibre network, customs, the Glo-Djigbé Special Economic Zone (GDIZ) and its urban markets. Yet most transactions remain informal: no traceability, no price comparison, no protection. Benin needs digital infrastructure that makes this trade intelligent, traceable and inclusive.

Overall objective

Accelerate the shift to modern, intelligent and inclusive commerce in Benin and along the West African corridor, through multilingual voice AI dedicated to Made in Benin and Made in Africa.

Featured PROMOGO solution

PROMOGO AI

The forum launches the PROMOGO AI 2027-2029 programme: "zero-text" voice AI to digitise commerce without excluding anyone.

Discover

Why now

The figures behind the forum

of the continent’s trade is between African countries
15-16 %
of adults cannot read or write (over 55% among women traders)
42 %
of e-commerce platforms require typing
99 %
of Benin’s population is under 25
65 %

Figures quoted in the forum’s official brief.

Five panels, five commitments

What will be discussed and decided

P1

Benin, hub of intelligent commerce

Ministerial panel. Expected outcome: a joint roadmap on cross-border trade flows.

P2

Women of modern markets

Gender round table. Expected outcome: firm pledges to a women’s financial inclusion fund.

P3

Financing small trade

Mobile Money, PAPSS and sales-history credit. Expected outcome: a pilot credit-access protocol.

P4

Made in Benin for export

GDIZ, agro-industrial value chains and AfCFTA corridors. Expected outcome: first factory catalogues listed on I-HUB.

P5

10,000 jobs for young people

Voice AI in national languages and digital commerce jobs. Expected outcome: first cohort of 1,000 relays.

Objectives

Expected results

OS1

Digitise without excluding

150,000 economic actors digitised in 36 months, with secure mobile payments.

OS2

Connect the African market

Verified I-HUB directory, 500,000 transactions and B2B matches with Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Togo.

OS3

Youth and women

10,000 certified relays (at least 60% women) and 60,000 women traders supported towards banking and microcredit.

OS4

Made in Benin

25,000 labelled products, an annual I-TRADE FAIR and the SMART TRADE MAG magazine.

on-site participants
2 000
online participants
10 000+
traders trained
1 200+
traders enrolled
3 000
relay applications
1 500
agreements signed
8 à 10

Forum and programme figures are targets.

Source: Dossier de présentation & de partenariat i-Trade Africa Forum 2027

Audiences

Who takes part

Public authorities

Ministries of Industry, Trade and Digital.

Traders and cooperatives

Market traders, cooperatives, Made in Benin producers.

Manufacturers and exporters

GDIZ companies and agro-industrial value chains.

Finance and payments

Mobile Money operators, banks, microfinance institutions.

Young people

Applicants to the 10,000 digital relays programme.

Programme

Two days

Full programme

Day 1 ·

  1. 08:00

    Welcome, accreditation, Connected Village opens

  2. 09:00
    Opening

    Opening ceremony

  3. 10:15

    Official tour of the Connected Village and coffee break

  4. 10:45
    Panel 1

    Ministerial: intelligent commerce hub and continental market

  5. 12:15
    Live demo

    A Dantokpa market trader sells and gets paid by voice, in Fon

  6. 13:00

    Networking lunch

  7. 14:30
    Panel 2

    Gender and empowerment round table

  8. 16:00
    Masterclasses

    AI & commerce in Fon, Yoruba and Bariba (3 rooms)

  9. 17:30

    Public filming of the SMART TRADE MAG pilot episode

Day 2 ·

  1. 08:30

    Welcome and day 1 recap

  2. 09:00
    Panel 3

    Small trade finance and cross-border payments

  3. 10:30

    Coffee break and Connected Village

  4. 11:00
    Panel 4

    Made in Benin, GDIZ and export

  5. 12:30
    B2B / B2G

    Lunch and business meetings

  6. 14:00
    Panel 5

    Youth employment and voice AI

  7. 15:30

    Masterclasses (continued) and trader enrolment

  8. 17:00
    Awards

    i-TRADE Benin awards, signing of agreements, launch of the first relay cohort

  9. 18:30

    Official closing and cocktail

Take part

Why attend or exhibit

Meet decision-makers

Ministerial panels and guaranteed B2B / B2G meetings depending on package.

Reach women traders

Connected Village, masterclasses in national languages, on-site enrolment.

Showcase Made in Benin

B2B showcase on I-HUB and listed factory catalogues.

Gain visibility

TV interviews, SMART TRADE MAG pilot episode, i-TRADE awards.

Request to attendDelegations, companies, visitorsBecome a sponsor5 packagesExhibitBooths from 6 to 15 m²