Benin’s disability inclusion drive has moved up a gear. Social Affairs and Microfinance Minister Véronique Tognifodé has officially handed over 1,422 new chance equality cards to people living with disabilities, pushing the total number of cards produced by the National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP) past 6,100. The documents have been passed to the ministry for phased distribution across the country.
What the card actually grants
Created under Benin’s law on the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities, the chance equality card is more than an administrative ID. It is a legal and social instrument built to secure priority, preferential access to essential services:
- Healthcare: preferential pricing and free coverage of certain specific treatments or orthopaedic devices in public health facilities.
- Education and training: exemption or reduction of tuition fees in public institutions, plus priority access to study and vocational training scholarships.
- Transport and employment: easier access to public transport and measures encouraging socio-professional integration in the public and private sectors.
At the handover ceremony, Minister Tognifodé said the initiative reflects the government’s vision of turning vulnerable people into the Republic’s true privileged citizens, breaking down stigma and economic exclusion.
Data traceability and nationwide rollout
Issuance relies on strict traceability managed jointly with ANIP and the network of Social Protection One-Stop Shops (GUPS) deployed in communes. Each applicant undergoes a medical assessment by state-approved doctors to formally establish the disability rate and nature before a card is produced.
The Federation of Associations of Persons with Disabilities of Benin (FAPHB), speaking for beneficiaries, welcomed the programme’s continuity and urged families and rights holders to complete procedures at GUPS offices to claim their entitlements. ANIP and the ministry are continuing distribution across all 12 departments to clear thousands of files still under review.
