AfricaLink Reports

>> AfricaLink Home >> AfricaLink Reports >> Benin Dec. 1997 Trip Report

TRIP REPORT AfricaLink and Benin’s Participation in Regional Agricultural Research December 1997 Jeffrey A. Cochrane USAID/AfricaLink Advisor December 10, 1997 The AfricaLink Advisor traveled to Cotonou to visit agricultural research centers where support from AfricaLink/WARDA has been provided. A visit was paid to the Benin National Institute for Agricultural Research (Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Benin, INRAB) where some $28,000 in assistance has been provided. Tuesday December 8, 1977 Institut National des Recherches Agricoles (INRAB) 03 BP 4217 Cotonou Tel +229 300264/223 Inrabdg1@bow.intnet.bj A request had been sent by Alassane Diallo of WARDA to Dr. Moise Houssou, Director of INRAB, requesting a meeting with the AfricaLink Advisor. No response was received, but Mr. Gaston Kokodé was expecting the visit and participated in the interview, which took place at 4pm. Electronic mail access has been established and confirmed at 11 INRAB sites throughout Benin. An additional three sites encountered difficulties: lack of telephone line, bad telephone line, and lack of computer. Four of the connections were to the headquarters in Cotonou, with one to the Director, one to a secretary, one to researchers in the documentation center, and one to M. Kokodé’s office. The cost of each account is about $20 per month. Staff of INRAB were not aware of any time charges from the Internet provider other than the charge from the PTT for use of the telephone line. A computer and printer were purchased, and these have been installed in M. Kokodé’s office as well. Accounts were activated in September of this year. AfricaLink funds were paid to cover three months service with the SoftPower company, but an additional amount was paid as an advance on telephone line charges. INRAB will submit its telephone bills for the period to SoftPower, and SoftPower will then pay the bills out of its advance. In addition to AfricaLink funds, INRAB used other funds to acquire a second telephone line with four extensions. This line is shared by the various accounts. Only one can have access at any one time. The annual allowance from the government for INRAB operations is quite small, totaling about $80,000 to support 16 labs, research units, and stations. Further assistance is received from a variety of projects, including projects funded by GTZ and the Dutch. There is concern at INRAB about how its Internet bills will be paid after the three months covered under the AfricaLink connectivity exercise. It is expected that the various projects supporting activities at INRAB will each contribute to pay a portion of costs. M. Kokodé described some of the administrative functions now managed via email. He noted that in the past it was necessary within Benin to telephone each station in order to transmit messages for meeting announcements and the like. Email is now routinely used since October. M. Kokodé does not envision any administrative or bureaucratic problems associated with the use of email technology. For example, he believes scientists will feel free to use the technology to communicate regularly with their colleagues within the region. No oversight from senior INRAB staff is required unless discussions directly implicate INRAB beyond the bounds of the specific research under the control of the scientist involved. However, in a subsequent meeting with the Assistant Director for Agronomical Research, Georges A. Agbahungba, M. Agbahungba hinted at concern over the protocols to be followed in sending messages via email, asking whether matters were really "official" if conducted via the Internet. Further assistance from AfricaLink was requested. In particular, funds to purchase line protectors for modems would be appreciated. A simple seminar to familiarize staff with the potential uses of Internet technologies would also be appreciated. When asked where in Benin such seminars might be undertaken, M. Kokodé proposed that each of their research centers would transport their computers to Cotonou and a room would be arranged. Persons Visited: Georges A. Agbahungba, Ingénieur Agronome Forestier, Directeur-Adjoint de la Recherche Agronomique, INRAB Gaston G. Kokodé, Biométricien-Chercheur, INRAB Karen Kent, USAID/Cotonou

:  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  :  What's New : FOIA Requests : Privacy Policy : Email This Page : Plug-ins : FAQs : Help Desk : Contact Us : Site Map Last Updated on: January 23, 2003