• My Afro Origins platform is dedicated for Afro-descendants seeking citizenship under a new return law recognizing descendants of enslaved Africans.
• Move aligns with global diaspora initiatives like Ghana’s “Year of Return” and Guinea-Bissau’s citizenship program.
• Platform offers application tools with a $100 fee, aiming to strengthen diaspora ties and development.

Benin officially launched My Afro Origins, a digital platform designed to accept applications for Beninese nationality from Afro-descendants. The portal went live on Friday, July 4, 2025.

The platform supports the implementation of Law No. 2024-31, passed on September 2, 2024, which for the first time guarantees the right of return and citizenship to descendants of sub-Saharan Africans who were deported during the slave trade and the transatlantic triangle trade.

“Our brothers and sisters in the diaspora, forcibly uprooted during the dark hours of the transatlantic slave trade, must reclaim their place within the African community,” said Benin’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olushegun Adjadi Bakari. “It is time to heal these wounds and recreate that sacred bond with those who, though physically distant, carry Africa in their hearts.”

The announcement comes as many Afro-descendants, especially African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans, seek to return to Africa, reconnect with their heritage, and contribute to the continent’s development. It also aligns with the United Nations’ International Decade for People of African Descent from 2015 to 2024, which promotes human rights, justice, and development for people of African heritage living outside the continent.

Benin has launched several initiatives to encourage the return of Afro-descendants and strengthen ties with its global diaspora. The Vodun Days festival has become a major event for the African diaspora, attracting visitors from Haiti, the United States, Brazil, and increasingly from Guadeloupe, all seeking to reconnect with their roots.

This initiative follows similar efforts in other countries, such as Ghana’s Year of Return in 2019 and Guinea-Bissau’s recent decision to grant citizenship and issue national passports to an initial group of people of African descent.

Beyond granting Beninese nationality to Afro-descendants, the program offers opportunities for economic, cultural, and educational development.

The My Afro Origins platform allows users to access information, prepare their application, and pay the $100 processing fee.

Lydie Mobio