Togo: AMRAT positions risk management as key to corporate resilience

Finance

Friday, 17 April 2026 14:47

Togo: AMRAT positions risk management as key to corporate resilience

(Togo First) - As African economies face growing uncertainty, risk management is becoming a strategic priority for financial institutions.

“Every company must have a risk manager,” said Khalid Yacoubou Boukari, president of the Association for Risk and Insurance Management of Togo (AMRAT).

He spoke at the opening of the Risk & Resilience Days, held on April 16 in Lomé and co-organized by AMRAT and FINCONNECT FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS. The event focused on how African banks and insurers can manage emerging risks and strengthen resilience.

While risk management is already well regulated in banking and insurance, Boukari said bringing together industry executives, experts and employer groups reflects AMRAT’s aim to foster dialogue on emerging risks and promote a more integrated approach.

He added that the event also seeks to clarify the role of risk managers and produce practical recommendations.

The approach centers on early risk identification, anticipation and effective mapping to improve response. “The goal is to prevent certain risks so that, if they occur, solutions are already in place,” Boukari said.

Participants highlighted several emerging risks, including political instability, security threats, rising cyberattacks and climate-related hazards, which are increasing in frequency and intensity. Recent earthquakes in Morocco, for example, underscore the need for companies and insurers to better factor natural risks into their models.

Expanding the risk manager role

Beyond the financial sector, AMRAT aims to promote risk management across all industries, Boukari said. The association was officially registered on Dec. 16, 2025, after a three-year process.

Testimonies from financial sector leaders, including Guy Martial Awona of Orabank Togo, suggest that the risk manager role remains underdeveloped in many West African companies.

In Togo and across the West African Economic and Monetary Union, risk management is often handled informally within finance or legal departments. This limits crisis preparedness, increases avoidable losses and heightens exposure to external shocks.

Boukari’s call to generalize the role—arguing that every company should have a dedicated risk manager—aims to address these gaps.

Dr. José Symenouh, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo), said AMRAT’s impact would depend on three priorities: fostering strategic thinking tailored to local realities, strengthening training in risk management, and building a collaborative professional network.

S.A

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)

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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)

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GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

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REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

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PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

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PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

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