About
Né à Porto-Novo, au Bénin, sous l’impulsion du Père Godfrey Nzamujo, le Centre Songhaï est devenu une référence africaine en agroécologie, en formation entrepreneuriale et en développement local. Son modèle relie la terre, l’élevage, la pisciculture, la transformation, l’énergie et le commerce dans un système intégré où les déchets d’une activité deviennent les ressources d’une autre.
Songhai’s story began in the 1980s, at a time when Africa was too often described through drought, famine, rural exodus and food dependency. Father Godfrey Nzamujo, a Dominican priest and scientist trained in electronics, microbiology and development sciences, chose to return to the continent with a strong conviction: Africa has the human, natural and cultural resources needed to shape its own future.
In October 1985, he founded the Songhai Center in Porto-Novo with a group of Africans and friends of Africa. The name Songhai refers to one of West Africa’s great empires, a symbol of creativity, organization, exchange and productive power. The project began modestly and gradually became a center for training, production, applied research and innovation.
The Center’s mission is to train women and men capable of creating profitable, ecological and socially useful agricultural activities. Songhai does not separate learning from practice: learners experience crop production, livestock, fish farming, food processing, maintenance, marketing and management. The goal is to develop autonomous rural entrepreneurs who can add value to local resources and contribute to food security.
La vision de Songhaï est celle d’une Afrique productive, digne et responsable de son développement. Le Centre défend une agroécologie concrète : produire sans épuiser les sols, utiliser les ressources avec intelligence, transformer localement, créer des emplois utiles et réduire la dépendance aux modèles importés.
Crops, livestock, fish farming, composting, biogas and processing work in synergy. Agricultural residues feed the soil, fish-farming water irrigates crops, and biomass becomes energy or fertilizer.
Songhai trains people to produce, repair, process, sell and manage. Autonomy is not only agricultural: it is technical, economic, food-related and entrepreneurial.
The Center aims to change how rural Africa is perceived. Land is not a place of poverty, but a space for innovation, employment, know-how and pride.
Le modèle s’inspire du principe « rien ne se perd, tout se transforme ». Chaque activité est pensée pour nourrir une autre activité et limiter les pertes.
The Songhai experience has expanded beyond Benin. Its integrated approach has inspired initiatives in several African countries and attracted the attention of development institutions, international organizations, universities, media and public actors.
In 2008, Songhai was recognized by the United Nations as a Regional Center of Excellence for Africa. This recognition confirms the value of its model: training young people, supporting green entrepreneurship, promoting sustainable agriculture and showing that modern rural development can be African, ecological and economically viable.
UNDP has also worked with the Songhai Center on circular economy and youth empowerment. In 2022, a regional training organized with UNDP brought young people from several countries to Porto-Novo to strengthen their skills in innovative, sustainable and job-creating sectors.