Capital City: Porto-Novo
Year of Independence: 1960
Area: 112,620 sq km
Arable Land: 23.53%
Population: 8,532,547
Median Age: 17.1 years
Population Growth Rate: 3.01%
Infant Mortality: 66.2 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at Birth: 58.56 years
Literacy Rate: 34.7%
Ethnic Groups: Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9%
Religions: Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5%
Languages: French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in the south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in the north)
VCP Statistics as of June 2011:
Members - 62,618
Churches - 1,003
Training Centers - 20
Coordinator: Remy Emongo Lotshaka
The Into Africa Project began church planting work in Benin in 2007. Pastor Remy Emongo Lotshaka is the country coordinator. He is married to Tuakelewo Mavengi Maguy, and the couple has seven children.
Remy and his wife are originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but felt called by God to move to Benin to join the Into Africa Project.
Remy holds a degree in geography from the University of Kinshasa in the DRC. After being called to the ministry, he was awarded two diplomas in theology, one from All Nations for Christ Bible Institute in Nigeria, and the other from Institut Biblique des Assemblées de Dieu in Benin. He has been pastoring since 1994.
As of September 2008, Remy has four VCP training centers with 47 churches planted and a total membership of 2,293. See above for recent country statistics.
Click here to view village scenes from Benin and Togo.
