Benin: launch of INFA’s diploma award ceremony for students of Bellamia and Malik D

La suite après la publicité

On Wednesday, November 26, the room chosen for the press conference had the feel of a dress rehearsal exam. On the eve of the INFA international test, the two partner schools, Bellamia and Malik D, wanted to clarify for the public and the media the significance of this major event in the Beninese aesthetics sector. The meeting was marked by the presence of the jury sent from Brussels, Mrs. Pauline Le Brun, ambassador of the International Federation of Aesthetics and Beauty.

In her remarks, the director of the Bellamia institute recalled the identity and mission of her establishment. According to her, Bellamia fully embraces the professional dynamic promoted by INFA. “Bellamia is a professional beauty institute, specialized in general training, in general aesthetics. The objective for which you are here is the awarding of diplomas to candidates who are completing their training,” explained Al – Baqy Marotan Bakari Kovoegnan, CEO of the Bellamia Beauty and Cosmetics Institute;

Today, Bellamia is presenting six candidates out of the fifteen in contention. A proportion that testifies to the institute’s commitment to certified training in aesthetics. Thanks to its affiliation with INFA, Bellamia is committed to providing its students with skills recognized internationally.

Two schools, one vision

The director of the Malik D school, Malik Djodi, then spoke to inform the public about his school’s longevity and its role in the rise of professional aesthetics in Benin. In a transition recalling his experience, he stated that his aesthetics, massage and cosmetology school Malik D has existed in Cotonou since 1990.

He went on to mention his track record and that of his cohorts. “It has had the opportunity to graduate several cohorts; to be precise, we have already graduated 5 cohorts. We are at the 6th cohort. And together with Bellamia, we wanted to hold the exam and the diploma ceremony for the girls we trained for 2 years.”, he clarified.

As a member of INFA’s board of directors, he felt it important to explain the context of the federation’s presence in Benin. “I am also a member of the INFA board of directors. INFA is a large federation that we will talk about shortly. This federation has been present in Benin since 1991 through the first school,” he declared.

Addressing a common confusion, he recalled that some people usurp the INFA affiliation title and wanted to correct the history. “I repeat, there are people who usurp this title. The first training school in aesthetics affiliated with INFA was IRTECA, founded by Mrs. Alima Sounon Gounou,” Malik D specified.

Finally, before giving the floor to the jury, Malik Djodi explained why Belgium had sent an official representative. “Since 1991, the school affiliated with INFA calls on a jury whose mission is to verify that the training was provided based on the INFA program.”, he added. After this historical and structural clarification, the stage was given to the representative who came from Brussels.

INFA; a guarantee of international excellence

Pauline Le Brun, jury member and INFA representative for the Bellamia and Malik D exams, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the International Federation of Aesthetics and Beauty, its role, its requirements and the importance of the diploma it is about to award. “The International Federation of Aesthetics and Beauty called INFA has existed since 1978. It is an international federation. We are established everywhere in the world to standardize knowledge — scientific, technical, ethical and other — at the international level.”, she explained;

Pauline also explained that membership in INFA is selective and subject to strict criteria. For her, “not all schools necessarily have the right to join this federation and there is a serious, long selection process carried out in Brussels.” She then detailed that the program covers facial care, body care, massages, nail and foot beauty, makeup, as well as a range of theoretical knowledge from dermatology to aromatherapy.

The diploma awarded, called the international aesthetics and beauty passport, meets strict standards. “To obtain this passport, you need 70%. There is a precise grading grid for practical, technical and theoretical levels.”, Paulin Le Brun emphasized.

She also recalled the existence of a higher level, the gold, obtained from 85%, and of an even higher level. “From 85%, the student receives the gold. The platinum is a maturity exam and assesses knowledge in management.”, according to her. An important detail complemented her remarks. The director of Bellamia herself is a gold graduate, a rare and prestigious status in the aesthetics field. “We created a make-up pro passport to promote estheticians in make-up within aesthetics.”, insisted the INFA representative.

A decisive exam for 15 candidates

The professional opportunities offered by this certification are enormous. One can work in an institute, in a spa, open one’s own business or be recruited by the medical aesthetics sector.

On Thursday, November 27, 2025, the fifteen candidates — six from Bellamia and nine from the Malik school — will face the final stage, which is the INFA international exam in Arconville in the Abomey-Calavi municipality. A demanding test, supervised by the official representative sent specially from Brussels.

The heads of the two schools say they are confident. The federation, for its part, expects excellence. In any case, Benin once again confirms its presence in the global network of aesthetics professionals, thanks to structured, recognized schools determined to maintain the highest level of quality.