Benin’s Revenue Boost and SDG Bond Drive Water Access and Jobs as Global Progress Stalls

For ten consecutive years Benin has lifted domestic revenue by roughly half a percent of gross domestic product each year, creating a modest fiscal cushion for development. In 2021 the country issued Africa’s first sovereign bond dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals. Proceeds from the bond were directed toward expanding basic services, notably drinking‑water provision and education. The minister of economic cooperation emphasized that without such revenue growth, governments cannot move forward on the 2030 agenda, linking fiscal space directly to SDG implementation.

Targeted spending has produced measurable improvements in Benin. Over the past five years the share of the population with reliable drinking‑water connections rose from about 40 % to roughly 80 %. The industrial zone launched alongside the bond in 2021 has generated approximately 25,000 jobs, diversifying the economy and expanding employment opportunities. Officials note that the bond‑financed projects were instrumental in delivering the water and education expansions that underpin these gains.

Since the 2015 adoption of the SDGs, close to one billion people have gained access to safely managed drinking water and 1.2 billion have secured improved sanitation. Electricity now reaches 92 % of the world’s population, up from 87 % in 2015, and internet connectivity has risen from 40 % to 74 % over the same period. Yet challenges persist: 2.1 billion people were food‑insecure in 2025, one in ten still lived in extreme poverty, and a $4 trillion annual financing gap looms. Official development assistance fell by 23 % in 2025, while projected warming of about 2.8 °C adds further pressure on development efforts.