Benin’s GDIZ processes 40,000 tons of cotton annually
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In Benin, the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) near Cotonou processes 40,000 tons of cotton fiber each year.
The GDIZ combines several textile processes, spinning, weaving, knitting, dyeing, finishing, and garment making, in one location to increase the value Benin gains from its main export crop. The industrial park’s first phase is equipped to handle 40,000 tons of fiber annually and produces items like yarn, fabric, towels, sheets, t-shirts, and polo shirts.
Benin’s government aims to increase cotton production to at least 700,000 tons of seed cotton by 2026-2027, after recent production fell to around 500,000 tons over the last three seasons. To encourage this increase and secure supplies for local processing, the Council of Ministers approved a bonus of 10 FCFA per kilogram for producers if national production exceeds 700,000 tons. The GDIZ is already exporting finished goods.
In May, it announced plans to ship over 50,000 garments made in Benin to the French retailer Gémo, with a partnership aiming for one million pieces by the end of 2025 and three million in 2026. The zone also includes facilities for producing home textiles and knitwear, such as towels, bed linens, shirts, and underwear, all from locally processed cotton.
