Financial sector leaders gather in Lomé for inaugural risk forum

Finance

Thursday, 16 April 2026 08:06

Financial sector leaders gather in Lomé for inaugural risk forum

(Togo First) - Senior banking executives, insurance officials and risk specialists will gather in Lomé on Wednesday for the Risk & Resilience Days, the country’s first forum focused on emerging risks in Africa’s financial sector, according to the organizers.

The event is jointly organized by the Association for Risk and Insurance Management in Togo (AMRAT) and advisory firm FinConnect Financial Solutions. It will take place at the Hôtel du 2 Février under the theme: “African banks and insurers addressing emerging risks: building integrated and resilient systems.”

Togo’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Essowè Georges Barcola, or his representative, is expected to attend the opening ceremony alongside José Kwassi Syménouh, president of the Togo Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Opening remarks are also scheduled from AMRAT president Khalid Yacoubou Boukari and Taha Bennasr, executive partner at FinConnect Financial Solutions, as well as Marc de Pommereau, president of Club FrancoRisk.

The opening session will bring together four chief executives from financial institutions operating in Togo: Benito Fado (SUNU Bank Togo), Robert Diallo (IB Bank Togo), Constant Djeket (NSIA Assurances Togo) and Guy-Martial Awona (Orabank Togo).

Five thematic panels

The programme includes five thematic panels. The first will examine banking transformation and integrated risk management. Speakers include Césaire Lara Tiama, head of risk and oversight at IB Bank Togo, Walla Mayika of fintech firm Mixx by Yas, and Léon Palogo, head of risk management at CRRH-UEMOA.

The second panel will focus on risk management automation, with contributions from Roméo Toovi, head of information systems audit at Ecobank Togo, Harouna Gouba from IB Bank Togo’s digital banking and innovation division, and Arsène-Joël Palanga, senior consultant at Capit Consulting.

The third panel will address asset-liability management. Participants include Rico Jibidar, deputy head of audit at Ecobank Togo, Abalo Dick of financial services firm Bring Money Back (Oragroup), W. Ariol Clauvis Bonkoungou, chief financial officer at IB Bank Togo, and Joseph Diabate, head of financial planning at the West African Development Bank (BOAD).

The fourth panel will focus on the insurance sector, with speakers including Elvire Nadine Faihun, chief executive of ASCOMA, Sande Fatola, president of RIMRAE, Dovéné Koffivi Hounou from GTA Assurances Vie, David Akwei, chief executive of LORICA Conseils, and Augustin N’Dri, chief risk officer at pan-African reinsurer CICA RE.

A fifth and final panel will examine the convergence of risk management practices across the regional financial ecosystem. Participants include Aimé Savadogo, deputy director general of CRRH-UMOA, Agbe Florent Attiogbe, director general of SUNU, Innocent Koffi Digoh, technical director of OLEA, Rodolphe Bakpam of African Lease, and Etonam Assih, country director of Creditinfo West Africa Togo.

More than 20 experts and decision-makers from banks, insurance companies, regional institutions and advisory firms are expected to take part. Organizers aim to establish the forum as an annual flagship event for the West African financial sector.

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.