China will invest 144 billion FCFA (288 million U. S. dollars) in road projects in Benin to boost the West African country's infrastructure, officials said on Friday.

An agreement on the projects was signed on Wednesday by Beninese Foreign Minister Jean-Marie Ehuzou and Chinese Ambassador to Benin Geng Wenbing.

Geng said the grant will be used for the rehabilitation of roads running 102,350 km long and two bypasses totalling 33.5 km.

Officials in the Beninese capital Cotonou disclosed that the construction work involves the Akassato-Bohicon road, 102.5 km north of the city, and two bypasses respectively measuring 6 km and 27.5 km. The projects were launched on Thursday.

The Akassato-Bohicon road is part of the inter-state road Cotonou-Parakou-Malanville-Gaya, linking Benin to Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad.

The rehabilitation of the road is the latest in a series of cooperative projects between Benin and China. They also include the administrative unit in Cotonou, the construction of a dormitory at the Natitingou girls high school, 550 km northwest of Cotonou, the agricultural pilot center, the Parakou referral hospital, 125 km north of Cotonou, and the interchange at the western entry to Cotonou.