Benin’s ruling coalition has selected Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni as its candidate for the 2026 presidential election, signaling continuity as President Patrice Talon prepares to step down after two terms. Backed by the Progressive Union for Renewal and the Republican Bloc, Wadagni, a 49-year-old Harvard graduate and former Deloitte executive, has been at the center of Benin’s economic transformation since his appointment as finance minister in 2016. Under his leadership, the country issued Africa’s first social bond in 2021, launched landmark IPOs, and raised $500 million in sovereign bonds this year. With Benin’s economy expanding by 6.7% in 2024 and oil exports set to begin later in 2025, Wadagni’s candidacy underscores ambitions to accelerate growth and diversify beyond cotton production.
Bloomberg
