New Risk Management Association, AMRAT, Established in Togo

Finance

Tuesday, 13 January 2026 11:33

New Risk Management Association, AMRAT, Established in Togo

(Togo First) - Insurance and banking professionals in Togo have established a new body to formalize risk management in the country. The Association for Risk and Insurance Management in Togo (AMRAT) gained official legal recognition on Dec. 16, 2025, after receiving approval from the Ministry of Territorial Administration.

Led by industry professionals, the association aims to foster a structured risk management culture in Togo. The initiative comes as companies and public institutions face growing financial, operational, climate and technological risks. These challenges directly affect financial institutions, which are heavily exposed to compliance, solvency, cybersecurity and business continuity risks.

AMRAT is headed by founding president Khalid Yacoubou-Boukhari. He said the association seeks to bring together risk management practitioners and strengthen ties between insurers, banks, corporations and government agencies.

According to its founders, AMRAT intends to promote best practices in risk and insurance governance, raise professional standards and facilitate dialogue between practitioners, policymakers, businesses and international partners. The organization plans to offer training programs, industry monitoring and strategic analysis on risk management issues.

The launch of AMRAT comes as risk management advances on the regulatory front across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), though it has yet to be fully integrated into the strategies of businesses and institutions. While banks report an average solvency ratio of 14.7%, above the 11.5% regulatory requirement, their high exposure to sovereign debt—nearly 38% of assets—continues to pose systemic risks.

Although credit portfolios have improved, with a default rate of 8.5%, capitalization remains a challenge, with a capital ratio of around 13%. Yacoubou-Boukhari said this shows the challenge is no longer purely regulatory, but also cultural, operational and related to decision-making.

AMRAT is also part of an international network. It is a founding member of the Federation of African Risk Management Associations (FARMA) and receives support from the Francophone Risk and Insurance Management Club, a key partner in the Francophone region.

Following its official recognition, the association is preparing for its inaugural launch in Lomé next March. The event is expected to bring together national and international public- and private-sector stakeholders from the insurance, finance, governance and organizational resilience fields, with a particular focus on risk management in the banking sector.

The project’s initiators said the launch will mark the start of closer cooperation among stakeholders, with the aim of better integrating risk management into the strategies of Togolese companies and institutions and supporting ongoing economic transformation.

AMRAT ultimately aims to establish itself as a reference point for debate, training and expertise in risk management in Togo, while contributing to the development of risk management practices across Francophone Africa.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

REFORMS OVERVIEW

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