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Chinese firms contracted to build waterfront complex at Benin slave port site
Beninese officials have hired Chinese state-owned companies to construct a seaside development at the former main slave port in Ouidah. The project links the new complex to the historic slave route and memorial sites under an infrastructure plan begun by the previous administration.
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Chinese state-owned firms are constructing a waterfront complex at the former main slave port in Ouidah, Benin. The site once served as the departure point for nearly 2 million enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade. The 2km Slave Route ran from an auction plaza to the beach, where captives passed through the Gate of No Return before boarding ships.
A memorial arch now marks that location.
Project details The Beninese government awarded the contract to Chinese companies to build the La Marina complex. Benin’s National Agency for Heritage Promotion and Tourism Development oversees the work. Construction began under former president Patrice Talon.
The current administration, which took office on May 24, has continued the project as part of an inherited infrastructure agenda. The development aims to connect the new seaside facilities directly to the historic slave route and memorial sites to support tourism.
