The Francophone Telecommunications Regulation Network (FRATEL) will hold its 21st seminar on 21-22 May 2024. The event will be hosted in Lomé, Togo, by the Togolese telecom watchdog, ARCEP Togo. The theme of the seminar is "Data economy and digital services: what are the technical-economic regulatory issues ?"

"Members of the Network (Fratel, ed. note) will exchange on the technical-economic regulation challenges of the use of non-personal data from the public and corporate sectors, potential data storage market failures and public interventions to remedy them, as well as regulatory measures for fostering emergence and development of digital services, especially mobile payments," the Fratel Network noted.

The meeting should shed light on the Togolese regulator whose operations are grounded in the collection and analysis of data. In this regard, the regulator’s QoS center, set up in 2021, allowed it to better monitor local and regional trends and call out local operators for breaches in their contracts. Among others, the ARCEP’s warnings recently led to the lowering of prices in Togo, for calls, mobile data, and fiber optic services. 

The FRATEL was officially established in 2003 in Bamako, Mali. It regroups French-speaking telecommunications regulators. The group was launched at a symposium of French-speaking regulators in Paris in 2002.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) recently appointed its new director for Togo: Akuwa Dogbé Azoma. The news, reported by the Togolese Ministry of Finance, was disclosed on December 14, at the latest National Credit Council (CNC).

"On behalf of the Statutory President, I would particularly like to welcome Madame Akuwa Dogbe Azoma, BCEAO's new National Director for Togo, to our Council,"  PRE Simfeitchéou (Representative of CNC Statutory President Sani Yaya) declared. 

Azoma, the new BCEAO boss in Togo, is the first woman to hold the position. Before her appointment, she was based at the BCEAO's headquarters in Dakar.

Her predecessor was subsequently appointed to the Cabinet of the BCEAO Governor in Dakar.

"We extend our sincere congratulations to Mr. TENOU for the work he has accomplished at the head of the BCEAO National Directorate for Togo and his promotion to Advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank. We wish him every success in the performance of his new duties within the Cabinet of the Governor of BCEAO,"  added the Statutory Chairman's representative.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Works to clear and asphalt the roads in Dapaong, northern Togo (610 k from Lomé) began last Thursday, December 14. They were kicked off by Kodjo Adedze, Minister of Urbanism. 

The works cover 1,000 m of roads and include rehabilitating and improving 2,300 linear meters of the old town's stormwater drainage network. They should last eight months.

The project falls under the PIDU and PACV, two projects that respectively focus on developing infrastructure in urban areas and improving people’s living conditions across the country. The recently launched project should cost a little over CFA2 billion. The World Bank will provide the funds.

According to Kodjo Adedze, the project’s overarching goal is to tackle infrastructural shortcomings in Dapaong.  "Urbanization has accelerated in Togo since the late 1960s, and the role of urban infrastructure is becoming increasingly important in modernizing the economy," stressed Minister Adédzé, who reports that "national statistics show that despite the efforts made by the Government, part of Togo's urban population lives in neighborhoods where road and sanitation services remain to be improved."

The asphalting project adds to other state projects that fall under the Emergency Program for the Savanes Region (PURS). The latter aims to boost the resilience of communities against rising terrorism in the region. 

Esaïe Edoh

Togo's National Council of Credit (CNC) held its fourth annual meeting on December 14 in Lomé. On the occasion, the participants reviewed the country’s macroeconomic environment over the period from January to September 2023. 

The review revealed that Togo has 250 bank offices active nationwide. Five new offices opened over the period reviewed. 

Meanwhile, seven new ATMs were installed, bringing the total active in Togo to 332.

Similarly, 28 new microfinance offices opened, making 611 in total on the territory. 

According to the CNC, the improvements bolstered bank loans over the period. The source further noted that CFA1.872 billion were loaned to the State and private sector over the period, up 12% year-on-year.

Esaïe Edoh

From its launch in 2006 to the end of 2022, Togo’s National Agency for Promoting and Guaranteeing SMEs’ Financing (ANPGF) has released over CFA13.5 billion.

The funds backed around 1,200 SMEs over the period. Also, the Agency registered 2,478 SMEs and trained over 3,000 entrepreneurs every year since it started operations. 

The ANPGF is headed by Naka Gnassingbé de Souza. The state agency fosters the growth of new businesses, helping them get financial and technical support. It also grants financing guarantees of up to 50%, thus halving the financing risk on projects costing more than CFA2.5 million.

Dr. Sandra Johnson, Minister and Governor of the World Bank in Togo, granted an audience to some of the institution’s representatives on December 12. Among them was Andrew Dabalen, Chief Economist for Africa at the World Bank. So was Pia Peeters, Social Inclusion Sector Director for East and Central Africa at the World Bank, and Fily Sissoko, the Bank's Resident Representative in Togo.

The talks focused on the Togo-World Bank partnership and its reinforcement. They also highlighted Togo’s significant improvements relative to social inclusion and its business climate.

The invitees lauded the country’s progress, in particular its recognition as a leader in the Country Policy and Institutional Assessment report  CPIA 2023 report. Also, they congratulated Togo for the COSO’s achievements, 16 months after the project was launched. 

Another highlight of the meeting was the Emergency Program to Strengthen Community Resilience and Security (PURS), which has been extended to the whole country.

This partnership between Togo and the World Bank should foster new opportunities for the country's economic and social development. At present, the World Bank's investment portfolio in Togo exceeds one billion dollars ($1,055.63 million), with a total of nine national projects ($520.10 million) and nine regional projects ($535.53 million).

Togo hosted on December 12, 2023, a top-level meeting aimed at fostering African economies’ digitization. It gathered several local digital experts, officials, and experts from the World Bank.

During the meeting, which was announced by Togo First, Cina Lawson, Togo’s Minister of Digital Economy, underscored the country's ambitions and prospects regarding digitization, through startup support especially. 

"In Togo, we intend to digitalize key sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, trade, small business, logistics, and ecosystem support," said Lawson before adding that "digitizing a country is done by supporting its startup ecosystem, and we also plan to support startups with tax incentives, as well as training and funding."

In recent years, Togo has increasingly invested in digital technology to create jobs for all social strata. "Using digital technologies in agriculture yields a tremendous gain in productivity. However, for this gain to be recorded, agriculture's initial inputs must already be present. In many African countries, water control remains an issue, as does the use of fertilizers. Digital technology will have a greater impact. You can't invest in everything. It's simply a question of coordination,” explained Moussa Blimpo, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Toronto. Blimpo took part in the meeting as an expert.

Two panels were hosted during the meeting. The panels, which addressed major shortcomings hampering digital development in the sub-region, brought together the heads of ARCEP and Togocom, among others. 

The World Bank meeting was also the occasion for Togo to present a recent report on digital development in Africa.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Bank of Africa Togo and Neemba (formerly Togo Equipement) recently teamed up to support SMEs active in Togo’s construction, mining, and energy sectors. The two inked the related financing agreement in Lomé, on December 12. 

Under the deal, BOA Togo will lend money to local SMEs to buy equipment from Neemba. The deal spans one year, renewable. 

"This day marks an important start for our partnership. Togo is under construction and it is together that we will contribute to the success of the major projects undertaken by the Togolese government," said Pierre Samaké, Managing Director of Neemba Togo.

"As part of this partnership, we are reserving more flexible financing terms for businesses, SMEs, without mortgage guarantees. Customers will simply access this financing, and it's the equipment that constitutes the main collateral," noted for her part Carine Ella, Leasing Manager at BOA-Togo.

A few days before its new deal with Neemba, BOA Togo announced a similar agreement to support businesswomen across the country. Before that, the bank’s parent company, Bank of Africa Group, had landed a $60 million package with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to cover half the risks on a $120 million loan portfolio, aimed at SMEs in eight African countries including Togo.

Esaïe Edoh

UNESCO launched a four-month training program for Togolese artists. Launched on Dec. 12 in Lomé, the program will cover all five regions of the country. It aims to help the artists better appropriate their rights and earn from their work. 

"On the ground, a two-day training course will be delivered in all regions of Togo. This training will be provided by experienced trainers and will be offered in French and national languages. After the training, the 117 participants will return to their respective communes to raise awareness among their fellow artists," explained Alizim Karka, representing the association Culture et Développement (Cult-Dev), responsible for overseeing the program.

Cult-Dev is the same organization picked by the Togolese Ministry of Culture and Tourism to implement another UNESCO-backed project–a project for the "Identification, capacity building, safeguarding, and promotion of Togo's traditional dances as a vector for sustainable cultural development".

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The 18th Fair of Lomé ended Sunday, December 10, with more than 580,000 visitors. The event was hosted at the Centre Togolais des Expositions et Foires de Lomé (CETEF).

According to the fair’s organizers, the number of visitors recorded this year was a record and was almost twice the number recorded at the last edition (325,000 visitors). 

The number of visitors was obtained from the number of tickets sold, according to the CETEF’s Managing Director, Alexandre de Souza. De Souza pointed out that this figure is based on statistics from ticket sales, which account for over 80%, and badge and invitation sales, which account for the remaining 20%.

Besides the increased number of visitors, the recent edition received support from more sponsors (+31%). The number of exhibitors was also higher, standing at 1,200 or 4.5% more than the year before. 

“This edition ends on a very good note. Everything went well, and we are relatively satisfied. Everything is well due to each and everyone’s commitment,” de Souza declared. 

This year, the event’s theme was “Connecting markets for stronger trade growth.”

Esaïe Edoh