Lomé Hosts First Francophone Forum on Emergency Housing

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Thursday, 03 July 2025 06:16

Lomé Hosts First Francophone Forum on Emergency Housing

(Togo First) - Lomé, Togo, is hosting the first-ever Francophone Emergency Housing Forum (RHUF) this week. The event, which started on July 1 and set to end today July 3, comes as humanitarian and climate-related crises continue to intensify across West Africa.

Organized by the African School of Architecture and Urbanism (EAMAU), with support from partners including the Red Cross and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the forum aims to rethink models for temporary housing in French-speaking regions.

The meeting brings together experts, researchers, urban planners, and policymakers to develop safer, more sustainable, and locally adapted emergency shelter solutions. The forum comes at a time when some parts of the continent report as much as 38% of their population displaced due to disasters or conflicts.

Dr. Malam Boukar Awa Krou, Director General of EAMAU, said the goal is to move away from short-term fixes toward a more lasting response framework, one that builds on local cultures and homegrown innovations.

Francophone Africa, which has lagged behind in addressing emergency housing challenges, is catching up with this inaugural forum. The region faces high funding pressures, limited media attention to the issue, and an urgent need to better structure the sector.

Participants are focusing discussions on financing mechanisms, the transition from emergency to stability, and strengthening the link between academic research and humanitarian practice.

Speaking at the forum’s opening, Kanka-Malik Natchaba, Togo’s Minister for Higher Education and Research and Vice President of EAMAU’s Board, said the event will help consolidate networks for future collaboration on key themes such as humanitarian housing, climate change, population displacement, urban growth, and demographic expansion.

“This forum is a unique opportunity to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders and to develop innovative, lasting solutions,” organizers stated.

REFORMS OVERVIEW

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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)

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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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PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

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PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

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