Repères historiques

The development of OMILAYE is part of a landmark national effort to strengthen access to drinking water in rural Benin for the long term.

At the heart of this ambition, drinking water is treated as an essential service and a driver of public health, human dignity, social cohesion and local development. The gradual establishment of a modern institutional, contractual and operational framework has opened a new chapter in the management of the rural public drinking water service.

In this context, OMILAYE contributes to delivering that vision through the operation of drinking water supply systems, continuity of service, infrastructure maintenance, water quality monitoring, relations with users and the continuous improvement of operational performance.

2017 — Creation of ANAEPMR

The creation of the National Agency for Drinking Water Supply in Rural Areas was a founding step in the organisation of the rural drinking water sub-sector.

This institution reflects the determination of the State of Benin to have a dedicated framework for planning, developing, managing and monitoring rural water assets. It also marks the government's commitment to putting rural access to drinking water on a lasting footing.

Through ANAEPMR, Benin thus strengthened its capacity to design, steer and support programmes aimed at improving the availability, quality and continuity of the drinking water service in rural areas.

2022 — Signing of the lease-management contracts

The signing of the lease-management (affermage) contracts marked a decisive step in modernising the management of the rural public drinking water service.

This contractual arrangement rests on delegated management, built on accountability, performance, service quality and closeness to users. It aims to entrust the operation of drinking water supply systems to professional operators within a structured and monitored framework.

This step strengthens facility maintenance, network performance, commercial management, customer relations, revenue collection, water quality and the durability of the infrastructure serving rural communities.

2023 — OMILAYE begins operations

The start of OMILAYE's operations marked the shift from institutional vision to action on the ground.

Across its area of operation, OMILAYE runs the drinking water supply systems day to day, covering production, distribution, maintenance, water quality control and support for users.

This operational phase reflects the company's commitment to delivering a local public service suited to the realities of rural areas. It rests on mobilising teams, engaging with communities, listening to users and continuously seeking to improve the quality of the service provided.

OMILAYE thus frames its work around sustainable performance, in the service of communities, local authorities and institutional partners.

2030 — Towards universal access to drinking water

The 2030 horizon is a major strategic milestone in the trajectory of the rural drinking water sector.

It reflects the ambition to contribute to universal, sustainable and equitable access to drinking water, in line with national priorities and commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation.

For OMILAYE, this outlook rests on consolidating continuity of service, improving system performance, safeguarding water quality, strengthening closeness to users, innovating in management tools and progressively supporting the expansion of the service.

The aim is to make drinking water a reliable, accessible and sustainable service for households, schools, health centres, local economic activity and all the rural communities served.

A trajectory in the service of rural populations

OMILAYE's historical milestones bear witness to a gradual, structured transformation in how drinking water is managed in rural Benin.

From the creation of ANAEPMR to the implementation of the lease-management contracts and then the start of OMILAYE's operations, each step contributes to building a public service that performs better, lasts longer and stands closer to the people it serves.

Driven by its commitment to being close at hand, OMILAYE works every day to make drinking water a driver of health, dignity, local development and better living conditions.

OMILAYE — Water is life.