Benin: Nicolas Simel Ndiaye appointed coordinator of the Strategic Support Office of the Presidency

The President of the Republic, Romuald Wadagni, has appointed Nicolas Simel Ndiaye as coordinator of the Strategic Support Office of the presidency by decree no. 2026-340, signed in Cotonou on June 1, 2026. The structure, whose creation was formalized the day before by decree no. 2026-339, is one of the new advisory bodies directly attached to the head of state in the administrative architecture he has been establishing since his inauguration on May 24.

Nicolas Simel Ndiaye is not a stranger to the Beninese administration. A consultant in strategy and economic growth trained at HEC Paris and Sciences Po, he joined the Beninese state in October 2022 as a special advisor to the Minister of Economy and Finance under Patrice Talon, where he led the minister’s delivery unit. In July 2023, he took the head of the Gaming Sector Oversight Unit, a structure linked to the Ministry of Finance created as part of the reform of the betting and gambling sector. Before arriving in Benin, he worked as a director at Deloitte Africa, specializing in supporting private sector development and economic growth, after initial years at Kurt Salmon in Paris. He is also the founder of the think tank “L’Afrique des Idées,” which brings together professionals and researchers from fifteen countries.

The appointment comes as part of a methodical restructuring of the presidency. Since May 24, Wadagni has signed a series of appointment decrees: Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji as government spokesperson on May 26, Adédiran Alfred Affoyon as coordinator of the Analysis and Investigation Office (BAI) on the same day, and then twelve ministerial advisors by decree no. 2026-358 of June 5.

Two Distinct Structures in the President’s Inner Circle

The Strategic Support Office, which Nicolas Simel Ndiaye is leading, is distinct from the Analysis and Investigation Office created simultaneously. The BAI is tasked with monitoring the implementation of the state’s flagship projects, auditing the performance of ministries, and conducting investigations into the management of public resources. The powers of the BAS, defined by the creation decree no. 2026-339, have not been fully made public as of the date of this paper, but their title—”strategic support”—suggests a role of advisory and guidance prior to decisions, distinct from the control function assigned to the BAI.

The established architecture recalls the delivery units and presidential strategic units developed in several African countries over the last decade, notably in Rwanda and Senegal, to accelerate the execution of the executive’s priorities by bypassing the delays of traditional administration. Nicolas Simel Ndiaye, who previously led a structure of this type at the Beninese Ministry of Finance, is already familiar with this governance model.

Romuald Wadagni, former Minister of Finance under Patrice Talon from 2016 to 2026, was inaugurated on May 24 following his victory in the presidential election on April 12, 2026.