Togo closed its second annual issue on the WAEMU market on January 22. It raised CFA27.5 billion via the operation–CFA2.5 billion more than it was seeking. 

While the operation was a simultaneous issue of fungible treasury bills and fungible treasury bonds, Lomé secured all the proceeds from the bills. The latter mature over three years and have multiple interest rates. 

Overall, 18 regional investors subscribed to the operation. They raised CFA35 billion. 

So far this year, Lomé has raised CFA52.5 billion on the WAEMU stock. This is out of an annual target of CFA607 billion which it plans to use to partly fund its budget for 2024.

Esaïe Edoh

The government of Togo will slowly transfer the management of its school canteen project to local authorities. 

On January 18, Kara and Atakpame hosted information workshops in this framework. The meetings brought together local elects and representatives of the National Agency for Grassroots Development (ANADEB) which has been steering the project since its launch in 2022.

According to reliable sources, similar meetings will take place in the Savanes, Central, and Maritime regions.

During the recent meetings, participants discussed municipalities that would first start managing the canteen project. Three municipalities, one per region, will be picked at the pilot stage. 

At this stage, the selected municipalities will receive consensual management training over three months. Subsequently, they will reveal their issues and needs which will be shared with other municipalities nationwide.

The move to let local authorities manage the school canteen project aligns with an announcement made in January 2023. 

As for the project itself, it was launched in 2022 for more than 130,000 students, across over 900 schools. The State pumped CFA1.7 billion into the initiative. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo has set up a Water Police, in line with its ambition to achieve Universal clean water supply by 2030. The police was officially established last week, via a decree issued by the Ministry of Water and Rural Hydraulics. 

Their main task will be to carry out investigations to verify the conformity of construction work on wells, boreholes, and any other works or installations for collecting or withdrawing water, or discharging effluent.

The water police will ensure compliance with the national water code and record any violation of this code. Agents and judicial police officers will be deployed to this end. They will mainly investigate the construction of wells, boreholes, and any other water collection or extraction installations, or effluent discharge facilities.

By establishing the police, the government aims to make sure that the Togolese people get clean and safe water.  "Water intended for consumption must meet all conditions of hygiene," recently stressed the Minister of Water and Rural Hydraulics, Yark Damehame

Esaïe Edoh 

The municipality of Tchamba, northern Togo, now has its market. The facility was inaugurated on January 21, 2024. It was built as part of a larger project to support small infrastructure projects at the community level. 

Steered by the National Agency for Support to Grassroots Development (ANADBEB), the new market cost CFA124 million. It has ten cantonal-type sheds, three storage warehouses, two blocks of modern latrines, and a PV-powered borehole. The whole market was built on a 10-hectare site.

According to the ANADEB, the project was financed by the PAPV, a program that supports vulnerable populations. The Agency adds that the new market will help the area’s sellers earn more. The market’s high storage capacity will significantly contribute to that. 

Other markets built on PAPV financing include the markets of Kpélé, de Kanté, d’Afagnan-Gbléta, and Glidji.

The PAPV was launched in 2015 with a single mission: to economically empower the least favored people through the construction or rapid renovation of basis infrastructure, as well as through socioeconomic projects. The sectors it covers are water, power, health, education, housing, sanitation, and hygiene.

Esaïe Edoh

Starting tomorrow, January 20, a new toll booth will be operational on the Segbe road in the southwest suburbs of Lomé. The booth was officially commissioned by the Minister of Public Works, Zourehatou Kassah-Traoré. It will be managed by the Autonomous Road Maintenance Company (SAFER).

Funds collected at the booth will help the SAFER meet its projected needs for 2024–the latter stand at CFA23.5 billion or 44% real estimated needs.

Last year, the road maintenance company spent CFA37.9 billion on its maintenance works.

China is interested in supporting Togo’s Emergency Program for the Savannah Region (PURS) and helping the African country better address the security crisis plaguing its northern region.

This was one of the topics covered during the recent visit of Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, in Lomé, the capital. 

"China is very interested in supporting the PURS Program, especially in the context of the security issues in the north of our country," said government spokesman and Minister, Christian Trimua, after a meeting between President Faure Gnassingbé and Wang Yi.

PURS: An overview

The PURS is a multi-faceted initiative that aims to bolster infrastructure, agriculture, and power supply in northern Togo. 

Togo so far has secured CFA30 billion for the project, from the Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement and the World Bank.

Defense and security

During Yi’s visit, the Chinese and Togolese sides explored future areas of mutual support. 

It is worth noting that the Savanes region, where the PURS is implemented, is still under a state of emergency. This state was first introduced in June 2022 and reconducted several times by the Togolese Parliament as terrorists kept attacking the region. Last year, Lomé confirmed the deaths of at least 30 people linked to these "terrorist attacks".

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo's Savanes region, the 60 health centers rehabilitated or built as part of the "Services de Santé Essentiels de Qualité pour une Couverture Sanitaire Universelle" (SSEQCU) project are officially operational. They were inaugurated on Monday, January 15, 2024, by a ministerial delegation as part of the national awareness-raising tour on the implementation of the Universal Health Insurance (UHI) project.

The rehabilitation cost CFA4 billion. The works were completed by the Ministry of Health.

The government will use the rehabilitated centers to accelerate the UHI’s deployment, according to Minister of Health, Moustafa Mijiyawa. 

The SSEQCU benefits from CFA40 billion World Bank financing. The project, which covers all five Togolese regions, aims to provide essential health care and services to women, children, and vulnerable people.

Esaïe Edoh

The U.S. Ambassador to Togo, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, met Manuella Santos, Togo’s Minister of Investment Promotion on January 17, in Lomé. During the meeting, the two officials explored potential U.S. investments in the agro-industrial and textile sectors.

According to Santos, the imminent investments could “foster joint-venture partnerships between private companies of both countries.” 

In this framework, the Togolese Minister stressed the contribution of the US African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in the US-Togo trade relationship. 

Last November, Togo, with various other African countries, pleaded for a 10-year extension of the AGOA. The Act was adopted in 2000 and should expire in September 2025.

In 2020, Togo earned $12.9 million from its exports to the U.S., according to the AGOA database. In contrast, the West African country spent $213.5 million on imports from the States.

Besides trade, the U.S. also invests in the following sectors in Togo: education, health, security, and culture.

Esaïe Edoh

The Togolese government will allocate CFA7 billion to local authorities in 2024. This is a billion more than last year (+16%). The funds will be provided to the Fonds d'appui aux collectivités territoriales (FACT).

Lomé increased the allocation in line with its ambition to boost local authorities’ resources and capacities. Also, the move specifically aims to offset the upcoming reduction in investment subsidies from technical and financial partners over the 2023-2026 period.

Besides the FACT, the government supports local communities with transfers and investments. This year, those will amount to CFA2.5 billion CFA francs and CFA15.9 billion, respectively, compared with CFA3.1 billion and CFA9.4 billion in 2023.

Over the past three years, Lomé provided nearly CFA15 billion to local authorities, via the FACT. 

The country has 117 municipalities which gradually take charge of their internal management and financial equilibrium. This transformation is attributable to various decentralization projects.