Launched two years ago in Togo, the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) shows "encouraging" results. Dindiogue Konlani, Director of Cabinet for the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, claimed so at the opening of the first synthesis meeting in Lomé on May 15, 2024.

The meeting convenes eight beneficiary countries and partners like ECOWAS, the World Bank, AGRHYMET, CORAF, and national coordinators from FSRP participating countries. 

Agriculture: Data and Recommendation

Under FSRP, over 80,000 agrometeorological bulletins have been disseminated, benefiting 122,000 individuals, including nearly 50,000 women, to guide farmers in managing climatic uncertainties.

Earlier this week, Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé urged African countries to unite in promoting better cooking practices and energy improvements. Gnassingbé stressed the importance of public and private sector involvement, highlighting Africa's potential for significant greenhouse gas emission reductions through clean cooking. This was during the Clean Cooking Summit in Africa at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.

"I believe that progress will primarily come from government involvement in the future. Of course, the private sector will play a significant role in the success of clean cooking in Africa. The fact that Africa could represent about two-thirds of the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the transition to clean cooking opens up prospects for carbon credit-based solutions," he stated.

President Gnassingbé proposed four solutions to enhance meal preparation and cooking energy access in Africa. He advocated for gas and electric cooking, improved stoves, and carbon credit-related projects to reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal. He also called for actions like subsidizing clean cooking kits, ensuring price stability for liquefied gas, supporting vulnerable households, managing energy transition, and regulating carbon credit initiatives.

The Clean Cooking Summit, organized by the African Development Bank and the International Energy Agency, aims to promote environmentally friendly cooking methods in Africa. President Gnassingbé met with President Macron and other African leaders during his visit. The leaders discussed summit recommendations.

The Adétikopé Industrial Platform (PIA) looks for ways to enhance container transfers from Lomé, Togo, to neighboring landlocked countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. A group of directors general from these countries' shippers' councils was at the PIA. The mission aims to bolster cooperation between the various parties, focusing on logistical challenges and innovative solutions proposed by the PIA.

Discussions centered on improving transportation efficiency, with the delegation touring key PIA infrastructure like warehouses, the Adétikopé dry port, and a textile factory. 

Togo has recently ramped up efforts to get closer to Sahelian countries, ensuring efficient goods transportation from its port. A mission from Niger was recently in Lomé in this framework.

The Alliance of Sahelian States (Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali) drive over 90% of transit traffic through the port of Lomé, highlighting their strategic importance in Togo's goal to become a sub-regional logistics hub.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo just launched a new fundraising round on the WAMU public securities market. The treasury simultaneously issued Treasury Assimilable Bonds (OAT) and Treasury Assimilable Bills (BAT). The operation closes on May 24.

Lomé seeks CF15 billion through the BATs. The securities mature over 182 days, have multiple interest rates, and a face value of CFA1 million. The OATs mature over three and five years, have a face value of CFA10,000, and respective interest rates of 6.15% and 6.40% per annum. The country seeks 20 billion through these securities.

Proceeds of the operation will finance Togo's balanced CFA2,179 billion budget for 2024.

Esaïe Edoh

Lomé hosts this week the first synthesis meeting of support missions for the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) for 2024. Funded by the World Bank, ECOWAS, CILSS, and CORAF, among others, the FSRP aims to improve food security and strengthen agricultural systems in the sub-region.

The meeting began on May 15 and will end on May 17. It brings together FSRP actors and partners who will discuss digital agricultural services, integrated landscape management, and regional trade enhancement. The roundtable aims to draw lessons, consolidate coordination, promote cross-learning, and identify progress and challenges in FSRP implementation.

"The main objective of this meeting is to draw lessons learned from support missions, consolidate coordination of regional and national activities, promote cross-learning, create synergies among all FSRP stakeholders, and identify progress made as well as challenges encountered in FSRP implementation," stated the program coordination.

The event will feature an exhibition of agricultural products and technologies developed by program beneficiaries. Togolese producers will showcase their achievements, highlighting the positive impacts of FSRP.

This evaluation comes after FSRP actions reached approximately 1.3 million direct beneficiaries in 2023, including nearly 40% women, in countries such as Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, and Chad.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo’s Youth Economic Initiatives Support Fund (FAIEJ) and UNDP, launched ADACE, a mobile app supporting young Togolese entrepreneurship. The digital tool offers business creation resources.

Available on the Play Store, ADACE provides an immersive training journey with simulation games in French, Ewe, and Kabiye. The games cover market studies, technical skills, and financial planning.

The app enables young entrepreneurs to acquire practical skills through realistic, educational scenarios. It automatically generates business plans in PDF format, facilitating project structuring and presentation.

ADACE incorporates an interactive forum for users to exchange ideas with FAIEJ experts and share experiences. A media library completes the tool, offering continuous entrepreneurship resources.

Since 2012, FAIEJ claims to have created over 26,000 sustainable jobs, granting over 8.6 billion CFA francs in loans to young people.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

ANAMET, Togo’s Meteorology Agency,  forecasts the next big rainy season from July to September, with normal to above-normal rainfall. The southern part may experience more abundant rainfall, increasing flood risks. The north will see above-normal to normal rainfall.

These forecasts will impact agriculture, with a late to normal end of the season in the north. The agency advises farmers to sow with the first useful rains and prioritize short-cycle, drought-resistant crops.

Hydrologically, the Oti basin will have above-normal runoff, risking overflow. The upper Mono basin will trend from average to deficit, while the Lake Togo and lower Mono basins will range from average to above-normal.

ANAMET advises against occupying flood-prone areas and rationally managing water resources for hydroelectric dams and hydro-agricultural developments.

The forecasts may change with weather conditions, as clarified by the Agency.

Esaïe Edoh

Niger authorities have introduced new measures regarding freight removal from Togo. The activity is now reserved only for vehicles registered in Niger and Togo. This decision aims to strengthen the Togo-Niger cooperation, amidst rising tensions between Benin and Niger. 

The Nigerien Ministry of Transport and Equipment announced these measures in a May 11 statement.  "These measures are in line with the bilateral agreement on road transport between the Republic of Niger and the Togolese Republic," said Colonel Major Salissou Mahaman Salissou, Secretary-General of the ministry, in a statement released on May 11.

The statement, however, stressed that exceptions may be granted for vehicles from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ghana with ministerial authorization. "Upon exceptional authorization from the Minister of Transport and Equipment, vehicles registered in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ghana may also participate in freight removal". 

"Any violator will be subject to sanctions provided for by the regulations in force," the ministry warned.

The move comes amidst regional tensions. Since the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, including the closure of borders, Niger has used the port of Lomé to transit its goods through Burkina Faso. After the sanctions were lifted, Nigerien and Togolese authorities ramped up efforts to bolster their cooperation, including several incentives for Nigerien operators.

Meanwhile, Niger kept its border with Benin closed, due to political tensions after the Coup that overthrew the Bazoum regime. In response, last week, Benin blocked the loading of Nigerien oil at the port of Sèmè-Podji, demanding that the new Nigerien authorities first normalize bilateral relations by reopening the borders before any shipment of the crucial crude oil, crucial for the Nigerien budget.

The recent announcement by Niger authorities could translate into stronger trade with Togo. Before the recent regional crisis broke out, Niger represented only 5% of transit via the port of Lomé, a share that Lomé has wanted to increase.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo has played a crucial role in improving the economic situation of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), according to WAEMU Commission President Abdoulaye Diop during a meeting with Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé. The two met on May 13, 2024.

Diop noted that the Togolese economy's resilience amid international economic challenges has allowed the WAEMU to maintain its growth momentum. The Union's growth is estimated at nearly 6.0% in 2022, compared to 6.1% and 1.7% in 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) emphasized that WAEMU remains one of the most dynamic economic zones in sub-Saharan Africa, driven by member states' economic performance. BCEAO projections indicate UEMOA's growth is expected to exceed 6.0% in 2024.

Likewise, Togo is projecting a 6% growth rate this year, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB). This performance demonstrates the strength of the Togolese economy and its positive contribution to UEMOA's overall growth.

Esaïe Edoh