Five innovators awarded at CCI-Togo national inventions competition

Energy

Friday, 13 March 2026 11:21

Five innovators awarded at CCI-Togo national inventions competition

(Togo First) - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo) has awarded the winners of the first edition of its national competition for the best inventions and innovations. The awards ceremony took place on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at the Palais des Congrès in Lomé, on the sidelines of the 7th Scientific Days of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES) and the Togo Inventions and Innovations Fair (FFI-Togo).

The first prize went to Togolese inventor Salma Bougoune for an off-grid solar-powered electric stove that requires no fuel. The solution offers low-energy cooking designed for rural households. According to the designer, the device relies on a thermal storage system that reduces the power needed to cook for a family of six from 2,000 watts to approximately 400 watts.

A total of five laureates were recognized at the conclusion of the competition. Prize money is set at 5 million CFA francs for first place, 3 million for second, 2 million for third, 1 million for fourth and 500,000 CFA francs for fifth.

Other award-winning innovations include an electro-solar cooking stove, floating feed for tilapia produced from by-products of the local brew “tchouk,” a natural insecticide targeting cocoa mirid bugs and a hybrid generator.

The competition initially drew 66 submitted projects after CCI-Togo issued a call for entries. Fifteen finalists advanced to the final round, selected based on criteria such as social relevance, level of innovation, economic and environmental impact, and project feasibility.

The judging panel was a joint body composed of representatives from CCI-Togo, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and CAMES. It was chaired by Prof. Koffi Tsigbe, a history lecturer at the University of Lomé.

“The value of an innovation is measured first by its ability to address a concrete problem and meet a real need in society. We therefore evaluated projects based on their social utility and their genuinely innovative character. Some candidates claim to be innovating, but when you compare their proposals with existing solutions, you find that this is not always the case. We therefore took care to distinguish projects that bring real novelty,” Prof. Tsigbé said on the sidelines of the awards ceremony.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

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