ESM UNIVERSITY COTONOU BENIN REPUBLIC

ESM-Bénin (École Supérieure de Management) is a private higher-education school headquartered in Cotonou. It has taught since 2007 and offers Licence (bachelor's) and Master programmes in management, finance, law, administration, IT, logistics, tourism and civil engineering, in day and evening classes. This page covers what ESM offers, where it teaches, how to apply, and the NYSC question.

ESM is number 10 on our list of the top 10 private universities in Cotonou. All ten are accredited and verified by us, and their students served NYSC before Nigeria's January 2024 suspension.

One thing to know before you apply: Nigeria's evaluation of Benin and Togo degrees for NYSC is currently suspended. Your school's licence and courses are not affected. See the NYSC section below.

• Full name: École Supérieure de Management (ESM-Bénin). In English it is sometimes called the School of Management Benin.

• Type: private higher-education school

• Started: 2007

• Recognition: recognised by Benin's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research since 2007, according to the uniRank directory

• Founder and president: Dr Isidore Hounhuedo

• Head office: opposite the Stade de l'Amitié Général Mathieu Kérékou, Kouhounou, Cotonou

• Levels: Licence (bachelor's) and Master

• Classes: day and evening, depending on the programme and the site

• Official website: esm-benin.com

ESM lists 16 programmes on its website:

• Marketing, Communication and Commerce

• Media Management

• Banking, Finance and Insurance

• Finance, Accounting and Audit

• Human Resource Management

• Entrepreneurship and Project Management

• Transport and Logistics

• Hotel, Tourism and Catering

• Information Systems and Software

• Executive Assistant (Secrétariat de Direction)

• General Administration

• Finance Administration

• Legal Sciences

• Political Sciences

• Economics and Management Sciences

• Civil Engineering, Water and Sanitation

Not every programme runs at every level or on every site. ESM's website and programme names are in French, so ask the Admissions office which level, site and language of teaching apply to the programme you want before you apply.

Best fit: students and working adults who want a business, finance, HR, logistics, tourism, law or IT degree, with the option of evening classes.

ESM lists 12 sites: Cotonou (head office), Abomey-Calavi, Akpakpa, Bohicon, Cocotomey, Dassa, Djougou, Kandi, Lokossa, Parakou, Pobè and Porto-Novo. Not every site runs every programme, so check with the site you want before you apply.

ESM publishes its pass rates in Benin's national Licence and Master exams:

• 2025: Licence 83.37%, Master 94.47%

• 2024: Licence 91.69%, Master 88.33%

• 2023: Licence 72.20%, Master 89.09%

These are the school's own published figures.

ESM says these documents are usually asked for. The Admissions office confirms the exact list for your level and programme:

• A registration form, collected from the secretariat of any ESM site

• A certified copy of your secondary school leaving certificate (the Beninese BAC), its attestation or your result slip

• A certified copy of your last diploma or attestation

• A certified copy of your birth certificate

• Two recent passport photographs

• Your parents' or guardian's contact details and address

If you are Nigerian, ask which of your results ESM accepts in place of the BAC, and whether your documents need translating into French. To apply, choose your programme and site, prepare the file, then use the school's form or call its Admissions office. You can also start with our ESM University application form and we guide you through the rest.

ESM does not publish its tuition online. It says fees depend on the programme and the level, and its Admissions office gives out the current fee table for 2026–2027. Contact the Beninfo247 Care Line on WhatsApp for the latest verified tuition, accommodation, admission fees and payment options before applying or paying. The rule is: verify first, apply second, pay third.

On 3 January 2024, Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Education suspended the accreditation of degree certificates from universities in Benin Republic and Togo, after an investigation into certificate racketeering. You can read the report and the list of affected universities at TheNigeriaLawyer.

• It is temporary. The resolution process is ongoing. Beninfo247 understands that the government has agreed to resolve it and that the remaining step is the Ministry of Education's public statement allowing graduates to proceed. On 11 March 2026, a House of Representatives committee recommended that the blanket invalidation be rescinded and replaced with case-by-case verification (report).

• It only affects NYSC. Until it is resolved, graduates of Benin and Togo universities cannot be mobilised for NYSC. After it is resolved, they can continue.

• Licences are not revoked and courses have not stopped. The suspension is a Nigerian decision about certificate evaluation. It is not a Benin decision. The school continues to operate and teach.

Our advice: you can study now, and plan to serve once the Ministry confirms. For the full explanation, read NYSC and Nigerian recognition for Benin Republic degrees.

Is ESM Benin accredited? The uniRank directory lists ESM as recognised by Benin's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research since 2007. ESM's own website lists ministry reference numbers from 2007 to 2021, but notes that it is still checking their exact titles and that they are not a blanket accreditation. It is on Beninfo247's top 10 private universities in Cotonou.

Where is ESM University in Cotonou? Its head office is opposite the Stade de l'Amitié Général Mathieu Kérékou in Kouhounou, Cotonou. It also has 11 other sites in Benin, including Akpakpa, Abomey-Calavi and Porto-Novo.

Does ESM have evening classes? Yes. ESM runs day and evening classes, but which ones are available depends on the programme and the site.

Can I serve NYSC after ESM? Not at the moment. Nigeria's NYSC mobilisation of Benin and Togo graduates is suspended until the Ministry of Education resolves it. It is expected to be resolved, and graduates can then continue.

Is JAMB required for ESM? JAMB is Nigeria's own admission system. Admission to ESM is set by the school and Benin's rules, so you apply to ESM directly. Confirm the exact requirement for your programme with the school.

Last reviewed by Beninfo247: October 2026.