Togo First
WAEMU: BOAD approves nine new financings
The West African Development Bank (BOAD) recently announced it has approved new financial commitments totaling CFA169.483 billion. The Bank approved the facilities during its 141st board of directors meeting in Dakar.
The financings include a CFA5 billion refinancing line for African Lease Togo. These financings are primarily distributed across the financial sector but also in infrastructure and agro-industry. Additionally, investments have been made in real estate and road infrastructure projects in several countries within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
These new commitments are part of BOAD's “Djoliba” development plan. The latter aims to support sustainable growth across the Bank’s member countries.
The BOAD was created by an agreement signed on November 14, 1973. However, it started operating in 1976, supporting all eight members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo kicks off US-backed family program
The USAID-funded ExpandPF program was launched in Togo yesterday, March 27th. The program was launched by Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, Minister of Health. This program aims to improve access to and utilization of quality family planning services across the country.
This five-year program will be implemented at 40 healthcare sites spread across three districts, the Est-Mono, Haho, and Kloto districts.
Beyond its local impact, ExpandPF also aims to influence policies and practices in the region's countries, as well as engage the private sector, civil society, and local decision-makers.
The project is part of the Ouagadougou Partnership (launched in 2011, supporting the acceleration of family planning services in nine West African countries: Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal), in addition to Cameroon; and the FP2030 initiative, a global initiative for family planning.
The USAID pumped $49.5 million into the project. The project is steered by the Togolese Association for Family Well-being (ATBEF) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo: New fire breaks at Port of Lomé
A fire broke recently at the Port of Lomé. The incident took place on the night of March 23 to 24, according to the Ministry of Economy and Coastal Protection.
The source informed that the fire lasted two hours. However, it added that firefighters intervened, and an abandoned store belonging to the Office Togolais des Recettes (OTR) was hit.
While no casualties were reported, the fire’s origin remains unknown.
In July 2021, dozens of tons of cotton stored in warehouses on the port platform were destroyed in a fire. Later in February 2022, a fire ravaged several vehicles on display at the Société Libano-Togolaise de Transport (SLTT) yard. Also, two weeks ago the Ministry of Maritime Economy confirmed the explosion of a Togolese vessel.
Esaïe Edoh
Organization of American States: Togolese Minister Robert Dussey meets SG, Luis Almagro
Robert Dussey, Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, was in Washington last week for an audience with Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS). Two months earlier, Togo joined the organization as a permanent observer.
"As a permanent observer to the OAS, I invited Togo to take advantage of our organization's strategic position in the region," Almagro posted on Twitter.
I welcomed today Foreign Minister of the Togolese Republic Robert Dussey @rdussey. We discussed our common challenges in Africa and in the Americas—security, terrorism, and development, among others. We agreed on the importance of fostering cross-regional understanding and… pic.twitter.com/Z5hZLk61f4
— Luis Almagro (@Almagro_OEA2015) March 20, 2024
The two diplomats also discussed strategies for strengthening inter-regional cooperation and meeting common security challenges in Africa and the Americas.
The two sides also “agreed on the importance of fostering interregional understanding and cooperation,” according to Luis Almagro.
Founded in 1948, the OAS comprises 35 member states on the American continent and operates in the spheres of diplomacy and cooperation. By joining the OAS, Togo aims to explore investment opportunities in key sectors including agriculture, mining, and regional trade.
Togo: Over 6.6 million treated mosquito nets distributed in 2023
More than 6.6 million mosquito nets (6,637,435) were distributed last year across Togo. The Ministry of Health disclosed the figure in its 2024 citizen budget.
The figure disclosed exceeded the forecast for the year reviewed–6.5 million nets. It is also higher than the number of nets distributed in 2020, amidst the Covid-19 crisis–5,421,189 nets.
Last year, the Grand Lomé area received most of the nets distributed, 1.84 million. In the rest of the Maritime region where the Grand Lomé is located 1.13 million were shared.
In the other regions, the Plateaux, Central, Kara, and Savanes regions, respectively 1.34 million, 638,000, 801,000, and 885,753 nets were distributed.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Fishery: Togo seeks CFA20 billion to develop the sector
Togo wants to boost raise its fishing output by 25% by 2028. The country just launched a new action plan to this end. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the strategy specifically aims to improve the sector's production, processing, and sales conditions. Lomé seeks CFA20.04 billion to execute the strategy.
A five-axis plan
The new strategy branches into five axes. The first axis involves launching training programs for the sector’s actors. The second focuses on supporting research and the sector’s interprofessional council (CIFP).
Next, the plan will focus on the valorization of fishing products. The following axis will focus on boosting governance in the sector through various measures. Then the fifth and last will bolster concerned stakeholders’ institutional and organizational capacities.
The plan’s targets include improving output, improving stakeholders’ technical and structural capacities, creating a business-conducive environment, and improving the sector’s governance and economic viability.
A call to partners
Togo’s technical and financial partners should finance most of the strategy. According to forecasts, they should provide CFA18.69 billion out of the needed CFA20.04 billion. The government should provide CFA1.27 billion and the CIFP the remaining CFA67.56 million.
It is worth noting that the national output does not meet the country’s needs at the moment. In 2022, these needs stood at 105,235 tons, against 86,905 tons in 2012. Meanwhile, the national output stood at 24,229 tons in 2023.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
World Happiness Index: Togo ranks 27th in Africa, and 124th worldwide over 143 countries
The United Nations (UN) recently released its latest report on World Happiness. Togo scored 4.21 over 10, ranking 124th (over 143).
Compared to the previous edition, Togo’s score rose by 0.08 points. However, the West African country lost two places. Last year, it ranked 122nd out of 137 countries assessed, with a score of 4.13.
In Africa, Togo is the 27th happiest country. The top three on the continent are Libya (66th globally) with 5.86 points, followed by South Africa (83rd globally) with 5.42 points, and Algeria (85th globally) with 5.36 points.
In West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire comes first with 5.08 points, although it ranks 96th globally. It is followed by Guinea (5.02 points) and Senegal (4.96 points), respectively second and third in the region.
Finland, Denmark, and Iceland are the three happiest countries in the world, according to the UN index. They scored 7.74, 7.58, and 7.52, respectively. At the other end of the spectrum are Lesotho, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. The last three scored 3.18, 2.70, and 1.72, respectively.
The 2024 World Happiness Report focuses particularly on three main well-being indicators: life evaluations, positive emotions, and negative emotions.
The report also assesses the levels of "compassion, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, social safety nets, and good governance" in countries surveyed.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: Phase III of ProSanté project begins
The Togolese Minister of Health, Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, kicked off the ProSanté III project on March 21. For an estimated budget of CFA10 billion, the project aims to improve the country’s health services and facilities. The components and intervention areas of the project were presented at the launch.
The previous editions, ProSanté I and ProSanté II, pooled in CFA16 billion in financing. These initiatives, which covered the years 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, were financed by the German Cooperation.
The past editions helped draw strategies and measures to improve health services in Togo overall and in the Kara region in particular. Seventy health personnel were trained in the process, and various steps were also taken to improve sexual and reproductive health, as well as family planning. Over 240,000 women benefited from these actions.
Togo: 2,200 km of rural roads rehabilitated in 2021-2023
Between 2021 and 2023, 2,200 kilometers of rural roads have been rehabilitated in Togo, according to official sources cited by Togo First.
According to the same sources, an additional 2,552 kilometers are currently under construction as part of the national rural connectivity program. Moreover, 1,720 kilometers of rural roads underwent routine mechanized maintenance during the three years reviewed. This is out of 2,478 kilometers targeted in this area.
This year, the government plans to invest CFA53 billion in rural road development projects. This will cover the construction of 1,877 kilometers of rural roads and 2,074 units of infrastructure, mechanized routine maintenance of 1,844 kilometers of rural roads, manual routine maintenance of 4,500 kilometers of rural roads, and the establishment of a database on rural roads.
The recent rehabilitation and construction projects align with the government’s strategy to open up rural parts of the country; a strategy started in 2020. The government hopes to rehabilitate and build 4,752 kilometers of rural roads by 2025.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: In New York, Minister Apedoh-Anakoma underscores the government’s efforts to empower women
The Togolese Minister of Women Empowerment and Literacy, Lolonyo Apedoh-Anakoma, was in New York last week for the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68).
On the sidelines of the session, the Togolese official shared her country’s experience regarding women's empowerment. Togo, it is worth noting is the best in Africa when it comes to promoting women’s leadership. The country earned the title in the World Bank’s 2024 Women, Business, and the Law report.
The theme of the conference led by Minister Apedoh-Anakoma was “Strengthening the Socio-Economic Resilience of Women and Youth to Prevent Violent Extremism”. The official underscored steps that Lomé took to enhance women’s socioeconomic resilience.
She emphasized that 72% of beneficiaries of the National Inclusive Finance Fund (FNFI), an initiative addressing the financial needs of vulnerable groups, are women. Additionally, 41% of the 840,000 indirect jobs created through the Support Project for Employability and Integration of Youth in Promising Sectors (PAEIJ-SP) are held by women.
Since 2019, Togolese authorities have increased the allocation of public contracts to young entrepreneurs and women from 20% to 25%. Socially, a series of laws have been enacted to bring about significant improvements and beneficial changes for women.
Disclosing her country’s ambitions for 2030, Apedoh-Anakoma said “...the government has taken initiatives to combat poverty and promote women's rights, particularly their economic empowerment and effective participation in decision-making at all levels of the development process."
Esaïe Edoh