The Social Cohesion Project for the Northern Regions of the Gulf of Guinea (COSO) is a regional initiative aimed at strengthening stability, peace and development in border areas in the border areas of Gulf of Guinea countries, which often face challenges such as poverty, community conflicts, insecurity and poor governance. It is part of a context where the northern regions of the Gulf of Guinea countries (such as Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire) are facing tensions related to the rise of violent extremism, cross-border trafficking and socio-economic inequalities

According to the press release, “this additional funding from COSO will above all enable Benin to cope with the influx of refugees, by intensifying the establishment of socio-economic infrastructures and income-generating activities aimed at strengthening the medium and long-term resilience of refugee communities and welcome. The project meets the objective of the Government of Benin to mitigate the factors of fragility in the north of the country, in connection with the increase in the continuous arrival of refugees and to strengthen resilience and social cohesion.”