Younes El Bedraoui is Moov Africa’s new Managing Director in Togo. The Moroccan replaced his compatriot Abdallah Tabhiret. El Bedraoui is expected to help the operator gain new market shares. 

"My vision is based on the principle of daring to aim high, daring for performance, and daring for quality," he declared on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, during a meeting with the local press. Nevertheless, the new boss will focus his strategy on continuity, with the ultimate goal of further improving the services offered to subscribers.

Over the past three years, Moov Africa Togo has weathered criticisms from the national telecom watchdog, the ARCEP, for the poor quality of its services. In October 2023, the regulator announced the initiation of sanction proceedings against the operator for the unavailability of the Mobile Money service (Flooz) and failures in the required notification to consumers.

Moov Africa is a subsidiary of the Moroccan telecom group Etisalat. 

Esaïe Edoh 

Pacôme Adjourouvi is Togo’s new Minister of Human Rights, Citizenship Education, and Relations with Republic Institutions. He fills a position that has been vacant since September 2023. The newcomer was appointed by presidential decree on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. He will take over from Christian Trimua, who has since become the Secretary-General of the government.

Adjourouvi, 57, was President Gnassingbé’s political advisor in 2017. The Noépé native has been an independent deputy since 2018. In 2019, he advocated for a presidential term of 7 years instead of the existing 5-year term, a proposal that was ultimately not adopted.

The new minister studied law in France before returning home. His legal expertise will help him address human rights issues and facilitate the country's institutional relations.

Last December, Togo and the IMF reached an agreement. This is after two years of negotiations started after the end of a program that covered the 2017-2020 period. 

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced an immediate disbursement of $68.3 million to Togo last Friday, March 1. This disbursement is part of a 42-month agreement falling under an Extended Credit Facility (ECF) of $390 million.

The new disbursement is timely for Togo which currently faces economic and security challenges, like many of its neighbors. The issues include lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, security issues at its northern border, and climate change’s impacts on agriculture.

The IMF, through the new package, will help Togo implement various economic and structural reforms aimed at fostering inclusive growth, enhancing macroeconomic stability, and making the country more resilient to external shocks. Reducing poverty, improving social safety nets, enhancing social spending, improving the business environment, maintaining macroeconomic stability, and consolidating the budget, especially by bolstering revenue mobilization, are the focal points of this program, which is expected to conclude in mid-2027.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo may not immediately follow the recommendation for various reasons, ranging from its electoral calendar to persistent issues impeding the effectiveness of cash transfers.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Togolese authorities to rethink their fuel subsidy strategy in favor of more targeted methods, such as direct cash transfers to vulnerable populations. This recommendation was part of a statement released on March 1, 2024, announcing a new disbursement of $68.3 million. The package falls under a 42-month program, including a $390 million Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The two sides reached the agreement last December.

"The authorities aim to make growth more inclusive by strengthening social spending and safety nets, as well as improving the living conditions of populations in the northern part of the country, complementing the military response to terrorism with a civilian response. In this context, it will be important to replace generalized fuel subsidies with more targeted and cost-effective measures to protect vulnerable people, including cash transfers," said Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair of the Bretton Woods institution's Board of Directors.

Cash transfers? 

The IMF's suggestion comes at a time when fuel subsidies are widespread, a policy that local authorities have favored so far despite criticism of its effectiveness and economic impact. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, fuel prices in Togo have fluctuated significantly due to turbulence in global markets. Despite subsidy measures aimed at mitigating the economic impact on the population, pump prices have risen significantly. Government subsidies on petroleum products range from 178 to 233 CFA francs per liter, depending on the product, including unleaded gasoline, petroleum, diesel, and 2-stroke mix. "The subsidy intended to limit the burden of the increase has rather become a trap as it is increasingly significant" and benefits foreign actors. "Indeed, people come here to stock up and resell elsewhere," a source close to the matter told Togo First.

However, cash transfers, although financially supported by the World Bank, have not yet fully convinced Togolese decision-makers of their potential impact on beneficiary populations. Some voices call for reorienting funds towards initiatives that can create wealth, generate jobs, and engage citizens in productive activities, rather than relying on direct aid. "We already have programs such as the FNFI, which offer small loans, or more, to vulnerable populations. Why should some benefit from loans allowing them to engage in income-generating activities and repay them, while others would live on free money? This is not the equity we ardently desire," said an official.

Delicate political context

However, given its electoral calendar, Togo may have trouble following the IMF’s suggestion. The country is set to hold its next legislative and regional elections in April 2024, and the presidential elections early next year. Also, adopting a potentially unpopular measure such as removing subsidies and consequently a significant increase in pump prices could prove politically challenging, amidst the prevailing inflation. Already, the population views current prices as high.

In 2022, at the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian crisis, which drove up oil prices and led to a readjustment of pump prices, the then Minister of Commerce, Kodjo Adedze, stated that "unleaded gasoline, if sold at the real cost, would cost 851 CFA francs per liter," adding that "the State spends nearly 256 additional francs to ensure that this product is available at the current price (595 CFA francs, editor's note)." Authorities have provided little information on the exact amounts spent on subsidies during a budget year in recent years, except for 2022, at the peak of the oil price hike. That year, it was reported that CFA25 billion had been spent on subsidies in the first semester.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo raised CFA38 billion on the WAEMU securities last Friday, March 1. The funds will finance the country’s national budget for 2024.

In detail, the Togolese treasury secured CFA14 billion through Treasury Bills (BATs), which mature after 182 and 364 days, at different interest rates. The remaining CFA24 billion were obtained through Treasury Bonds (OATs), set to mature over three years at a rate of  6.15% per annum.

For the operation, Togo’s initial target was CFA35 billion. According to the operation's report, 44 investors participated, contributing a total of CFA66 billion, representing a coverage rate of 189%.

Including the latest issue, Togo has raised CFA148 billion on the WAEMU market so far this year. Before the year ends, Togo hopes to collect CFA607 billion overall in this market.

Esaïe Edoh

The 3rd International History Festival of Aného (FIHA) will be held from November 14th to 17th, 2024. The festival’s organization committee disclosed its schedule and theme, “Discoveries”, last week in a press debrief.

This year, the festival will host a Togo-Turkey business forum, fostering dialogue and collaboration between Togolese and Turkish entrepreneurs, SMEs especially. 

Alexis Aquereburu, mayor of the Lacs 1 municipality (housing Aneho), and Muteber Kiliç, Turkish ambassador to Togo, were both present at the debrief. 

"The FIHA 2024 will take on new dimensions and colors, fly to distant continents, and join Türkiye, which is the synthesis of East and West with its Cartesian thinking," said Aquereburu. 

Besides highlighting Aneho’s history, culture, and tourist assets, the festival will help bolster the economic relationship with Turkey. 

"Relations between Türkiye and Africa have gained considerable momentum over the past decade," said Ambassador Kiliç. "We are happy to be able to introduce festival-goers to our culture through the various colorful shows. Our embassy will make efforts to strengthen our friendship and cooperation between Türkiye and Togo,” she added.

Hundreds of visitors, some from Brazil and the Caribbean, are expected to attend the festival. They will take part in various festivities, including the colorful Aného Carnival, traditional dances, and cultural performances.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togocom’s majority shareholder, Axian Group, has joined GSMA's Connected Women initiative. The latter aims to balance access to digital and financial services between men and women, in Africa especially.

By joining the initiative, Axian seeks to enable more women to use its data services and mobile financial solutions in Togo and Madagascar, its two African markets. Axian said it would release reports each semester to track the progress relative to its ambition. 

In Madagascar, where the group operates via Telma Madagascar, it seeks to considerably boost women’s access to its services by 2025. In Togo, it plans to do the same by 2026. In the West African country, Axian holds 51% of Togocom. 

Fiacre E. Kakpo

The West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion project just reached a new milestone in Togo. Registration operators (OPE) and supervisors for the project have recently been preselected.

According to the INSEED, a key partner on the project, preselected OPEs and supervisors will be tested across the country, from March 5 to March 15, 2024. 

Testing sites picked by the INSEED include Attiegou and Adidogome in greater Lomé, and across the Maritime, Plateaux, Central, Kara, and Savanes regions.

OPEs and supervisors who pass the tests must show up at their designated centers with valid IDs. 

The biometric ID project aims to provide each resident with a unique identification number, streamlining interactions with various sectors and bolstering national identity.

The project received a $72 million investment from the World Bank. It is steered by the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Cooperation (INSEED) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation (ANID).

It is worth noting that the project should have commenced in Q4 2023, according to the National Agency for Identification (ANID).

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Togolese government is poised to start a new chapter with Niger in the area of maritime cooperation. Edem Tengue, Togo’s Minister of Maritime Economy, voiced the ambition during a recent high-level visit by a Nigerien official delegation. 

"Together, we want to start a new chapter of maritime collaboration, streamlining trade exchanges between Togo and Niger," said Tengue.

The move aims to bolster trade and enhance goods flow between the two nations. This strategic shift comes amidst ongoing recalibrations in the sub-region, notably with the emergence of the Alliance of Sahel States (AoSS), comprising Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

A few days before the recent visit, Minister Tengue stressed Togo’s ambition "to ensure seamless trade exchanges between the two nations, facilitating market access for Niger and enhancing export opportunities for Togo."

The efforts are geared towards optimizing economic synergies and promoting shared development objectives. For Togo, this strategic move towards Sahelian countries, particularly Niger, aligns with its strategic position as a pivotal trade hub in the region.

Recent trade data highlights the significant role of Sahelian nations, with Burkina Faso and Mali ranking among Togo's top trading partners. Niger, though ranking ninth in terms of imports from Togo, underscores its importance in the regional trade landscape.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo, the government’s “School Canteen” program benefited 218,395 students in public primary schools during the 2022-2023 school year. The figure was disclosed on March 1 by the National Agency for Support to Grassroots Development (ANADEB).

Compared to the previous academic year, the program impacted 65% more students. That year, it had impacted 132,153 students. Similarly, more schools were covered, 1,284 against 906 in 2021-2022. Last year, the program helped serve around 22 million meals.

Beyond meal provision, Togo, with support from the World Food Programme (WFP), has developed a national school feeding program and policy. Through these, the ANADEB has trained 3,288 "canteen moms" in hygiene and meal preparation.

The School Canteen program was launched in 2008. The ANADEB has run the program since it launched, but it plans on transferring it to local authorities. 

The program is financially and technically backed by the World Bank. The Group has invested CFA22 billion in the initiative. Lomé expects the program to cover 300,000 students by the end of this year.

Esaïe Edoh