The Government of Benin has built a modern national laboratory for water and health product quality control in Abomey-Calavi, near Cotonou, strengthening public health and the fight against counterfeit products.
The facility was constructed with World Bank support as part of a government drive to improve sanitation conditions and combat counterfeit medicines and substandard water supplies, challenges that affect populations across West Africa.
An inspection team visited the site on April 17 to assess the facility ahead of formal handover, according to a Benin government statement. Once operational, the laboratory is expected to serve as a reference point for the sub-region.
Noëlle Sadeler, a special adviser to the President of the Republic, attended alongside Eloi Ahoumenou, coordinator of the PEPRAU project, and Achille Yemoa, director general of the National Agency for Quality Control (ANCQ).
The facility spans 80 rooms distributed across two floors and underwent a room-by-room inspection covering the main building, support facilities, technical structures and security systems. Inspectors verified compliance with specifications set out in the project’s terms of reference.
The laboratory was built under the contractual authority of the National Agency for Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Management (ANAEPMR) and will be operated by the ANCQ.
It is designed to deliver microbiological and physicochemical analysis of health products and water across Benin’s national territory.
According to a statement from the Benin Government, the facility will strengthen health security, protect consumers and support the government’s efforts to combat the circulation of counterfeit products.
