In the 1970s and 1980s, Benin pursued a socialist ideology as a way of development and progressively slipped into a profound political, social and economic crisis with dramatic consequences on poverty. By the late 1980s, poverty in the country was widespread, unemployment was skyrocketing, and social unrest plagued the country. The crisis culminated in a national conference in February 1990 with a fundamental ideological shift towards democratization and market liberalization. At that time, expectations of economic recovery, economic take-off and human development peaked. Despite moderate economic growth, as in other sub-Saharan African countries, poverty in this small West African country has remained stubbornly high for the past two years.