French firm EDF and Energy Generation team up to train women on solar off-grid jobs

Energy

Thursday, 19 July 2018 16:09

French firm EDF and Energy Generation team up to train women on solar off-grid jobs

(Togo First) - To boost its off-grid offer and develop local skills regarding the installation of off-grid solar kits, French firm EDF, Europe’s leading power producer and supplier, just partnered with Lomé-based institution Energy Generation which provides power to rural people in sub-Saharan Africa.

The related agreement, which focuses on the “Women and Solar entrepreneurship” Program, will help equip women with skills needed to set up and repair off-grid solar systems as well as teach them more about entrepreneurship in the clean power sector.

In detail, EDF will design the training modules while Energy Generation, leveraging on its knowledge of the West African market, will implement these modules at various training centres dedicated to power professions. Under the first phase of this initiative, about 100 women will be trained by end-2019. Beneficiaries will be from Togo, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

“With this program, about 100 women in Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire will be trained to a promising job with great economic potential, but they will most importantly be taught to be major actors of their country’s energy transition,” said Astria Fataki, CEO Energy Generation.

Established in 2016 by Astria Fataki, Energy Generation already partners with EDF for the EDF Pulse Africa contest which aims to reveal and support African innovators who contribute to power development in Africa.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.