Wadagni was welcomed by President Paul Kagame at Urugwiro Village in Kigali on Wednesday, September 16, where he was received with an official welcome ceremony.
The visit comes as Rwanda and Benin continue to strengthen bilateral ties in areas including security, trade, investment, agriculture, technology and governance.
Wadagni, 49, was sworn in as Benin’s president on May 24, succeeding Patrice Talon after winning the April 12 presidential election with 94.27% of the vote. His running mate, Mariam Chabi Talata, became vice president.
According to Benin’s Constitutional Court, Wadagni received 4,575,449 votes, while his main challenger, Paul Hounkpè, received 278,297 votes. Voter turnout was 63.57%.
Before becoming president, Wadagni served as Benin’s minister of economy and finance from 2016 and was later promoted to senior minister. He previously worked at Deloitte before joining government.
The visit provides an opportunity for the two countries to review and deepen their existing cooperation.
Rwanda and Benin have expanded their partnership in recent years, with cooperation covering security and defence, economic and commercial affairs, agriculture, digital transformation, tourism and institutional development.
During President Kagame’s state visit to Benin in April 2023, the two countries signed agreements aimed at strengthening cooperation in several areas. The partnership included security and defence cooperation, with the two sides agreeing to work together to address security threats affecting Benin’s northern borders.
The countries have also pursued cooperation in trade, investment promotion, taxation, information and communications technology and other areas. Rwanda and Benin have previously described their relationship as a strategic partnership and have sought to facilitate the movement of people and goods between the two countries.
Wadagni’s visit comes less than four months after he assumed office and marks his first official trip to Rwanda as Benin’s president.
The two-day programme is expected to include discussions between the two presidents and their delegations on bilateral and regional issues.
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