La Nation, Benin’s flagship state-owned daily newspaper, has been a fixture of the country’s media landscape for over five decades. Established in 1969 under the name Daho-Express, it was rebranded in the revolutionary spirit of the 1970s as Ehuzu—meaning “revolution” in Fon, one of Benin’s national languages. With the return to multi-party democracy in 1990, the paper adopted its current title, La Nation, signaling a shift toward a national rather than ideological identity.
Published by the Office national d’imprimerie et de presse (ONIP), La Nation maintains a prominent role as the government’s official voice in print. It remains one of the few daily print newspapers with nationwide circulation, although its influence has waned in the face of digital disruption and growing public distrust in state media.
Media assets
Publishing: La Nation
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
La Nation is published by ONIP, a state-run enterprise operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Communication and Post. The highest decision-making body within ONIP is its Board of Directors, comprised of six members—four of whom are appointed by state ministries, thereby ensuring continued governmental oversight and influence.
Despite minor organizational tweaks in recent years, ONIP remains fully state-owned, with no private sector participation in its governance. In 2025, no legal reform or board reshuffle has altered the fundamental balance of power within the institution.
Source of funding and budget
ONIP does not publicly disclose its financial statements, making it difficult to determine the precise composition of its revenue streams. However, according to local media analysts and journalists, the organization survives through a mix of direct state subsidies, allocated annually by the Ministry of Communication and Post, and commercial revenue, largely from newspaper sales and advertising, though both have reportedly been in decline.
Because the state retains full managerial control and access to La Nation’s revenue, financial independence is seen more as a formality than a reality. There is no transparency regarding the proportion of public versus private income, nor are there publicly available audits or budgetary breakdowns.
As of June 2025, there has been no official update regarding ONIP’s 2024 or 2025 budget, nor any policy initiative aimed at financial or operational transparency.
Editorial independence
Though no formal statute mandates pro-government coverage, La Nation’s editorial line is widely regarded as aligned with the ruling administration’s agenda. This alignment stems less from overt censorship and more from structural dependency: the outlet’s leadership, funding, and editorial priorities are all tethered to the state apparatus.
Independent journalists and watchdog organizations have long observed that La Nation serves more as a government bulletin than an independent newspaper, consistently favoring official narratives and underreporting stories critical of those in power. No editorial board or independent ombuds mechanism has been established to safeguard journalistic integrity or balance.
In 2025, despite regional debates on press freedom and increasing international scrutiny, no meaningful reforms have been introduced to bolster La Nation’s editorial independence or to introduce oversight mechanisms. The paper remains under firm government control both in perception and practice.
June 2025