Key challenges
How can Cotonou’s port-side street vendors maintain their livelihoods while ensuring food safety and hygiene for both customers and vendors?
Successful initiative
Faced with the precarious conditions of food vendors operating along the port access road—where vendors lacked protection from traffic, weather, and proper sanitation—the Port Autonome de Cotonou (PAC) undertook a comprehensive consultation process to implement a sustainable solution. The result was the creation of a modern, fully equipped marketplace featuring covered stalls with running water and electricity, designed to elevate food safety standards and working conditions for vendors.
Port marketplace success story
The Port Autonome de Cotonou has long prioritized social and environmental responsibility, and its latest initiative reflects this commitment. In 2024, the port inaugurated a 3,000-square-meter covered space featuring 98 dedicated food stalls, each equipped with cooking facilities, water access, and reliable electricity. Previously, vendors operated along the busy roadside without protection, unable to prepare meals on-site or maintain proper hygiene. The new facilities provide clean, weatherproof spaces where vendors can safely store ingredients, cook, and serve meals to port workers and nearby residents under improved sanitary conditions.
The project, which cost over 600 million FCFA, involved extensive stakeholder engagement to ensure the solution met the needs of all parties. Beyond enhancing working conditions and financial stability for vendors—who now enjoy increased customer access—the relocation has fostered a more inclusive community space, attracting a diverse clientele including senior port staff and dockworkers. Early results indicate a 20% boost in sales, while ongoing data collection aims to assess further benefits such as reduced incidents and waste.