From L-R, Mauritanian film maker Abderrahmane Sissako, Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour, Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo and Nigerian musician Femi Kuti pose at a hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, July 4, 2018. Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters 

(From L) Beninese singer Angelique Kidjo, Nigerian musician Femi Kuti and Senegalese singer Youssou N'dour perform at the Afrika Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria, July 3, 2018. Picture taken July 3, 2018. Ludovic Marin/Pool via Reuters 

Lionel Zinsou, Benin's Prime Minister and presidential candidate, speaks to journalists after casting his vote during the presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

An electoral officer empties a box of ballot slips after polling stations closed for the presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

An electoral officer holds up a ballot paper during the count of votes after polling stations closed for the presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Voters look through a window during the count of votes after polling stations closed for the presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

An electoral officer holds up a ballot paper during the count of votes after polling stations closed for the presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

People queue outside a polling station to cast their ballots during a presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A woman sitting near a tree sells drinks outside a polling station during a presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

An electoral officer assists a voter at a polling station during a presidential election in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Presidential candidate, Nicephore Soglo, is assisted by a military personnel as he prepares to cast his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Presidential candidate, Sebastien Ajavon, casts his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Presidential candidate, Sebastien Ajavon, arrives to cast his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Presidential candidate, Nicephore Soglo, holds a ballot paper as he prepares to cast his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A woman stands in a polling booth to cast her vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A woman stands in a polling booth to cast her vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. The text reads, "Thought of the day: Life is a long poem that we write ourselves". REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Lionel Zinsou, Benin's Prime Minister and presidential candidate, casts his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Lionel Zinsou, Benin's Prime Minister and presidential candidate, is guarded by security personnel as he prepares to cast his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Lionel Zinsou, Benin's Prime Minister and presidential candidate, arrives to cast his vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A ballot paper depicting the presidential candidates is seen inside a polling station during a presidential election in Cotonou, Benin, March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

An electoral officer prepares voting materials during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin, March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

An electoral officer prepares voting materials during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin, March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A woman casts her vote during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou Benin, March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

An electoral officer points at a polling booth to a voter during a presidential election at a polling station in Cotonou, Benin, March 6, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A supporter dressed up as a woman takes part in a campaign rally for Lionel Zinsou, Benin's Prime Minister and presidential candidate, in the Djeffa district near Cotonou, Benin, March 3, 2016. Picture taken March 3, 2016. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A devotee is guided by voodoo priests as she goes into a trance at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah, Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A devotee attends the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah in Benin, January 10, 2016. In Ouidah, a small town and former slave port in the West African country of Benin, the annual voodoo festival gathers visitors from far and wide. It's a week that brings together priests and dignitaries, rich and poor, locals and visitors from as far afield as the Caribbean and France. The festival commemorates the estimated 60 million people who lost their homelands and their freedom during the African slave trade. Slaves were transported from the port town on the Atlantic from Nigeria, Togo, Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The traditional African religion of voodoo, which spread to the Americas with the slave trade, combines elements including philosophy and medicine. The central belief of voodoo is that everything is spirit, including humans. Voodoo is closely related to other belief systems and religions I have seen across Africa, especially back home in Nigeria. The annual Ouidah gathering on 10 January has been a national holiday in Benin for more than 20 years. The gathering includes traditional dance and animal sacrifices at shrines, with some devotees entering trance states. The peak of the festival is in the last two days. Devotees offer dances to the spirits, often with bodies decorated with local powder and palm oil. There are those who find the initiation ceremonies of voodoo, the animal sacrifices, the bloodletting and the use of fetishes unsettling. Although many voodoo practices have been modified over the years, I have heard people, especially those who follow Christianity and Islam, voice their doubts. Whatever your opinion of voodoo, it's hard to ignore the energy and devotion of its followers at a gathering like this. The Ouidah festival looks set to remain a regular fixture in Benin's religious and cultural calendar. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Devotees attend the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Devotees kill a goat as a sacrifice at a shrine at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Voodoo chief priest Dagbo (C) walks with other devotees during a traditional street procession at the beginning of the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee is guided as he dances on a stage at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Front view of the main market is seen in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A man rides a motorcycle with a basket at the back through a street in the rustic town of Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

People watch as traditional drummers perform at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee dances at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee is cheered as he dances at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

People watch a masquerade dance at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

People watch a masquerade dance at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

Devotees attend the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A devotee dances at the annual voodoo festival in Ouidah January 10, 2016. The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace. Hundreds of followers of the traditional religion gathered in the Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country's presidential election scheduled for February. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

A man prays during a mass held by Pope Benedict at the Stade de l'Amitie (Friendship Stadium) in Benin's economic capital Cotonou November 20, 2011. The pope celebrated the big open-air Mass on Sunday, capping his three-day pastoral trip to Africa where he appealed to leaders to serve their people honestly and to developed nations to shun a condescending, know-it-all attitude towards the continent. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 

A child looks on as Pope Benedict celebrates a mass at the Stade de l'Amitie (Friendship Stadium) in Benin's economic capital Cotonou November 20, 2011. The pope celebrated the big open-air Mass on Sunday, capping his three-day pastoral trip to Africa where he appealed to leaders to serve their people honestly and to developed nations to shun a condescending, know-it-all attitude towards the continent. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS) 

A member of the faithful wears a shirt printed with a picture of Pope Benedict as he attends a mass celebrated by Pope Benedict at the Stade de l'Amitie (Friendship Stadium) in Benin's economic capital Cotonou November 20, 2011. The pope celebrated a big open-air Mass at the stadium on Sunday, capping his three-day pastoral trip to Africa where he appealed to leaders to serve their people honestly and to developed nations to shun a condescending, know-it-all attitude towards the continent. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 

An African woman at the entrance of the voodoo temple called the Temple of the Pythons sits in front of a sign showing a snake as Pope Benedict XVI arrives at Basilica of the Immaculate Conception across the street in Ouidah during his pastoral visit in Benin November 19, 2011. The pope will be in Benin for 3 days from November 18 to 20. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION) 

A body guard (C) for Pope Benedict XVI deflects the hand of a woman reaching towards the pontiff as he leaves the Basilica in the city of Ouidah in Benin, November 19, 2011. Pope Benedict said on Saturday the developed world could not continue to look down on Africa "with the judgmental tone of a moralizer" and impose rules, but must come up with real partnership solutions to solve the continent's many problems. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION) 

Onlookers gather on a bridge hoping to catch a glimpse of Pope Benedict XVI as he travels past crowds on his arrival in Benin's main city Cotonou November 18, 2011. Pope Benedict, arriving on his second trip to Africa as Roman Catholic leader, on Friday urged African nations to resist the temptation to surrender to market forces as they grow and modernise. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION) 

A tailor sews an outfit ahead of the visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Cotonou, November 17, 2011. Pope Benedict will visit the cathedral on Friday at the start of a three-day visit to Benin, his second trip as pontiff to Africa after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. Picture taken November 17, 2011. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde (BENIN - Tags: SOCIETY) 

Worshippers, including a woman with albinism (C), carry oil lanterns during a night time procession through the streets of Benin's main city of Cotonou, November 17, 2011. Pope Benedict will visit the cathedral on Friday at the start of a three-day visit to Benin, his second trip as pontiff to Africa after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: POLITICS SOCIETY RELIGION) 

A girl washes the lid of a cooking pot amid the ruins of a market destroyed by city officials in Benin's main city of Cotonou November 17, 2011. Vendors and local residents said police used bulldozers and razed the local market in an effort to tidy the city ahead of a three-day visit by Pope Benedict XVI starting on Friday. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: SOCIETY RELIGION TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 

A woman receives communion during a morning mass at Notre Dame cathedral in Benin's economic capital Cotonou November 17, 2011. Pope Benedict will visit the cathedral on Friday at the start of a three-day visit to Benin, his second trip as pontiff to Africa after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION) 

A woman prays beside a statue at Notre Dame cathedral in Benin's economic capital Cotonou November 17, 2011. Pope Benedict will visit the cathedral on Friday at the start of a three-day visit to Benin, his second trip as pontiff to Africa after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 

A vendor fills bottles with fuel in Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in Benin on Friday, for a three-day visit, his second to Africa, after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Samuel Amoo, 26, works out during a training session at the Afro Boxing Club in the Akpakpa neighbourhood of Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: SPORT BOXING SOCIETY) 

Boys train at the Afro Boxing Club in the Akpakpa neighbourhood of Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: SPORT BOXING SOCIETY) 

Children play a game on the street with two boys dressed up in masks and outfits in the Akpakpa neighbourhood of Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in Benin on Friday, for a three-day visit, his second to Africa, after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Girls collect water at night in the Akpakpa neighbourhood of Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in Benin on Friday, for a three-day visit, his second to Africa, after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

A woman dries fish at a market in the Akpakpa neighbourhood of Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in Benin on Friday, for a three-day visit, his second to Africa, after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Women sit on a fishing boat in the Akpakpa neighbourhood of Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in Benin on Friday, for a three-day visit, his second to Africa, after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 

Fishing boats sit on the water in front of houses in the Akpakpa neighbourhood of Benin's capital Cotonou, November 16, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is due to arrive in Benin on Friday, for a three-day visit, his second to Africa, after visiting Cameroon and Angola in 2009. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (BENIN - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Voodoo worshippers dance at the shore of Quidah beach during the annual voodoo festival in Benin January 10, 2009. The festival is celebrated every year in Benin to mark the symbolic point of no return from where hundreds of thousands of African slaves were taken to the western world. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye (BENIN)