IGIP has been partnering institutions and the civil society in Benin since the late 1970s: capacity building for the engineers of the former Beninese Company of Water and Electricity (SBEE), rehabilitation and extension of drinking water and sanitation systems from rural areas to district capitals, secondary cities and in Cotonou and Porto Novo... IGIP’s lasting commitment alongside SONEB (Benin’s current National Water Company) results in an ongoing series of projects and programs that contribute to the country's progression Benin towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

The existence of IGIP Afrique Benin, a prominent local SME that was incorporated in 1999, has been instrumental to IGIP’s drive to participate in the country's growth. IGIP Afrique Benin can now rely on about sixty employees and local experts involved in projects across Benin and neighbouring countries.

As a spokesperson for all the recipients, Heiko Scheiber thanked the great Chancellor, President Dr Yayi Boni and his government as well as the current and former leaders of SONEB for a distinction he qualified as a mark of trust and encouragement. He then made mention of IGIP's teams, in particular the team that undertook the Phase II project management for reinforcing the drinking water supply system in Cotonou and surrounding areas, cofinanced by the European Union and the European Investment Bank. This major project, typical for IGIP and IGIP Afrique Benin, aims to strengthen water infrastructure in order to produce and process at least 52,000 m3 per day of additional water in order to meet the present and future needs of Cotonou and its suburbs. A team led by Roland Tatara, Narcisse Agbatchi and Gilbert Agbalin carried out this project.