To begin ...

What image do we want to give to the Municipality of Ouidah in 2020?

What are the potentialities that Ouidah has, as special historic and tourist city, but which, is spent by its status of 3rd city of the former French Western Africa ( AOF) in that of a town in state of continuous decline?

How to put together various forces of Ouidah to be able to overcome the difficulties raised on its way in the permanent search of the populations to reach the good, to spend economic and social sustainable leaving, to insure the endogenous and well-managed development of the Municipality?

Some are, Ladies and Gentlemen, questions of an extreme and great concern, which the first Municipal council of Ouidah, owes answer throughout its mandate. The mission is hard and allaows according to us, no weakness, nor dishonest compromission. The present document, which redraws the priority actions to be begun, was the fruit of a shared work, having implied all the actors of the municipality who put themselves together to analyze the situation of development and schedule, in report in this situation, actions the application of which will facilitate certainly the improvement of the population's daily living conditions.

This work was possible only with the technical, material and financial support of persons and structures sharing with us the concern of the development of the Municipality. I am anxious to thank them very warmly and express them my profound recognition, that of the Municipal council and all the girls and all the sons of ouidah.

It is notably a question of:
- The Beninese Agency for the Environment ( ABE), the Project of support for the Starting up of the Municipalities ( PRODECOM), and the Project of support for the Decentralization and for the Development of the Municipalities (PDDC, secondary cities) and the Alpha et Oméga cabinet - Environment.
- The services decentralized by the State, the programs and the governmental projects, the national and international NGO which took an actual and effective part there by bringing the qualitative thoughts and the quantitative information according to their domain of competence.
- The civil society of Ouidah, in its variety and in its wealth, among which the involvment in the development of the municipality and the public-spiritedness deserve admiration. It was one of the most active actors of the elaboration of the main lines of the Plan of Municipal Development. Their mobilization within the Preparatory Office of the Conference of the Lively Forces of the Municipality have been of a great help.
Ouidah thus has since March 1st, 2005, date of validation, its Plan of Municipal Development.

Many people said it and I do it firmly too: a plan of development in the life of a town, is not the end in itself. It is the reason why all and each will have to contribute and imply themselves in its execution.
- At first Ouidahniers living in Ouidah or leading one of their activities there;
- The sons, the girls and the nationals of Ouidah come then who live out of the Municipality, those of the Diaspora, in particular who remain attached to their native earth.
- There are also the friends of Ouidah, and God knows that they are numerous worldwide. We shall appreciate any contribution which they can bring, whatever is the shape.
The combined action of all these actors will allow to be equipped with endogenous resources, condition to incite the mobilization of the additional contribution of the international and decentralized cooperation.
Indeed, the support the international, multinational or bilateral institutions, of the decentralized cooperation, were mobilized in a spirit of international solidarity will constitute an inescapable part in the best execution of the Plan of Municipal Development.
We are finally aware of the fact that we could not have the expected success of this essential tool of the development without the transparent management of the resources of the Municipality. I can, on behalf of the local elected members, insure all that we shall watch it, in spite of the little convenient mentalities and the environment in which we are.
Then all together, without distinction of sex, political, religious belief and material situation, let us work for the development of Ouidah and our country Benin.
To go through the whole Development Plan (in french), please take this way and have very good surf.

Pierre C. BADET