State Capture and Rent-Seeking in Benin: The Institutional Diagnostic Project

Benin is a small, slow-growing economy whose development relies on two sources of rent that are controlled by self-centred elites: cotton export and illegal cross-border trade with Nigeria. Patrimonialism governs Beninese society as a forceful struggle for political power takes place between the oligarchs who control these sources and use them as formidable levers of power. State Capture and Rent-Seeking in Benin argues that this struggle causes the instability and unpredictability of economic policies, resulting in institutional problems that make economic diversification and growth difficult. Based on a thorough account of the economic, social, and political development of Benin, this institutional diagnostic provides a detailed analysis of its critical institution- and development-sensitive areas such as electoral campaign finance, state capture by business and elites, management of the cotton sector, the tax effort, the informal trading between Benin and Nigeria, and the political economy of land reform.

Emeritus Professor of economics, Paris School of Economics (former director), and School of Advanced Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS), Paris. Former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank. Publications include more than 200 articles and 10 books. Awards include Dan David Prize and CNRS silver medal. Co-founder of the European Development Network (EUDN).

Professor of economics, University of Namur, Belgium. Romain Houssa is the principal investigator on the Benin institutional diagnostic project. His main research deals with issues related to causes and welfare consequences of commodity markets and macroeconomic fluctuations. A native of Benin, he is very familiar with the issues confronting Benin.

Emeritus Professor of economics, University of Namur, Belgium. Publications number about 200 articles, book chapters and books (edited, single-authored and co-authored). Founder and long-time director of the Centre for Research in the Economics of Development (CRED) at the university of Namur. Holder of two Franqui chairs in Belgium (Free university of Brussels and Katholieke University of Leuven). Co-founder of the European Development Network (EUDN).

Emeritus professor of Economics, University of Namur, Belgium. Paul Reding has taught, carried out his research and published in the field of monetary and financial economics, with a frequent focus on issues relating to developing countries. He has participated in several policy oriented national and international research projects.