Ceco, a Togolese firm, secured the contract to build the Ebolowa-Efoulan-Mbango road (60 km) in Cameroon's southern region–a project with an estimated cost of CFA37 billion. The contract was signed on July 1 in Yaoundé with Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, Cameroon’s Minister of Public Works. The deal is conditional on Ceco's ability to secure financing on terms “acceptable” to the Cameroonian government.

The works are expected to start within 24 months after the contract is signed. However, Ceco's CEO, Constantin Amouzou, indicated that initial work might not begin for another 33 months due to ongoing negotiations with an international firm for funding. A formal offer will be presented to Cameroon's Ministry of Finance soon.

"We've been waiting for this document. We are working with an international firm that has completed the necessary due diligence and is only waiting for this document, which confirms our mutual commitment to the Cameroonian government. Within a few weeks, we should conclude everything and present an offer to the Ministry of Finance, which will review and amend it before we proceed to the next stages," Amouzou explained.

The Ebolowa-Efoulan-Mbango road will feature a 10-meter-wide platform with 3.5-meter lanes on each side and 1.5-meter shoulders. It will be built using gravel and bituminous concrete, with engineering structures to ensure durability and safety.

This project is the fruit of a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2022 and execution studies that defined the precise scope of the work. These studies were submitted to Cameroon’s Prime Minister in February 2023.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo officially launched its 2024-2025 soybean production campaign last week in Guérin-Kouka, in the Dankpen prefecture. The CIFS, the body overseeing the industry, organized the launching ceremony. This year, the event’s theme is "Mechanization of soybean production, a factor in increased productivity ".

At the ceremony, the CIF’s boss, Komlan Kadzakadè, said the body learned from the previous campaigns. "We are determined to overcome the challenges encountered to increase our productivity further," he said

Several steps were taken to achieve this goal, including improving access to quality seeds, strengthening producers' technical capabilities, and extending storage and processing infrastructure.

Alex Kpanté Bouab, Director of Entrepreneurship and Agricultural Financing at the Ministry of Agriculture, stressed the importance of producing and processing soybeans locally to create jobs and generate wealth.

"The soybean sector is not only a significant source of foreign currency for our country but also plays a crucial role in our food security and industrialization," he said.

Togo produced 260,000 tons of soybeans in 2023, against less than 25,000 tonnes in 2015. The country currently is the European Union’s biggest soybean supplier.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo now has a digital registry for businesses. The platform, DataBiz, was launched on July 1, 2024, by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo). 

DataBiz aims to provide a more accurate map of Togo’s economic players and to reassure foreign partners in their business and administrative dealings with Togo. "The aim today is for every Togolese company to make itself known on this platform. Everyone wins: the information available enables partners to directly consult the products and services offered by Togolese companies," said Nathalie Bitho, President of the Special Delegation of the CCI-Togo.

For Kofi Helmuth Bonin, Managing Director of BHK Consulting and designer of DataBiz, the platform offers multi-level visibility for local economic players, both nationally and internationally. "We offer an increased presence in the digital ecosystem, improved visibility, and facilitate B2B and B2C interactions. The user-friendly and intuitive aspect of the platform is essential to guarantee easy and effective accessibility," he added.

Moreover, access to DataBiz is subject to a subscription with flexible terms and conditions, depending on users' specific needs.

Visit DataBiz here.

It is now possible for Togo’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to access their charter online. The Ministry of Trade, Rose Kayi-Mivedor, made it possible on July 2, 2024, in Lomé, on the 2nd edition of the International Day of MSMEs. The event was placed under the theme: "Building a collective resilience of MSMEs for better access to financing and markets".

The innovation aims to foster MSMEs’ development and competitiveness. With it, these businesses should benefit from existing financing mechanisms more easily. 

On the newly launched portal, MSME owners can register and join the charter by entering their details and the details of their businesses. The type and location of the business will be required, with different fees for different categories of businesses.

It should be noted that this charter, approved in 2021, puts MSMEs into four distinct categories: Nano, Micro, Small, and Medium. The sales volume–ranging from 5 million to 1 billion FCFA–determines the category.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo and India inked a visa exemption memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week. The MoU was signed in Lomé, Sevela Naik Mude, head of the Central and West Africa zone at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, and Afo Salifou, Secretary General of the Togolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This agreement, benefiting holders of diplomatic, official, and service passports from both nations, aims to strengthen the Lomé-New Delhi relationship.

The memorandum was signed during a two-day visit to Togo by an Indian delegation as part of the first political consultations between the Foreign Ministries of India and Togo. During this visit, the two countries also signed another memorandum on political consultations.

Relations between Togo and India are strong, highlighted by several initiatives. Notably, in June 2021, Togo secured a CFA22 billion loan from the Exim Bank of India to finance an electrification project for 350 localities.

Togo, it is worth noting, also recently signed visa exemption agreements with Sao Tomé and Principe and South Africa.

Esaïe Edoh

Last year, 69% of the Togolese population had access to drinking water, up from 47.66% in 2014. The update was disclosed on July  2, 2024, by the Ministry of Water.

The data further reveals that in rural areas the service rate rose from 47.7% in 2014 to 74.4% in 2023. In semi-urban and urban areas it stood at 55.9% and 69% in 2023, against  42.6% and 47.7% in 2014, respectively.

The Ministry of Water attributes the surge to several projects and programs launched by the government, with the financial support of its development partners. Such projects include the PASSCO, which the French Development Agency backed with CFA6.5 billion. The PASSCO helped build 400 new boreholes in Northern Togo.

Other factors that fostered access to clean water include the support and commitment of NGOs and international institutions such as the World Bank, BOAD, and AfDB. 

Togo’s government seeks to provide 85% of its population with clean water by 2025 and 100% by 2030.

To this end, they have set up the National Drinking Water Supply Plan and the Water Master Plan for Greater Lomé, supported by strategic partnerships.

Esaïe Edoh 

The French Consulate in Togo has announced a new scheme to simplify and speed up business visa issuance for Togolese company representatives. This was formalized in an agreement signed last May between the French Embassy and Togolese employers' organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo).

The new system was presented to Togolese economic operators in Lomé on July 1. It aims to help Togolese businessmen and economic operators better plan their trips without long waiting times.

"Visa application deadlines are a minimum of 15 days if the applicant wants to be processed within the planned timeframe," explained Isabelle Rios Mestre, visa officer at the French Consulate. "You can also apply up to six months before your departure date if you can anticipate meetings or trips."

The West African Development Bank, BOAD, disbursed over CFA700 billion to support WAEMU States in the first half of 2024. The Bank disclosed the figure last Thursday, June 27, during the 142nd Ordinary Session of its Board. The BOAD President, Serge Ekue, chaired the session.

"The mid-term review of financial forecasts for the 2024 financial year shows that in the first half of 2024, global financing granted by the Bank is estimated at 712.7 billion CFA francs, representing an execution rate of almost 86% of the annual program of activity", said Ekue. This "with respectively 64% of loans granted to States and 7% to public enterprises", he added.

Regarding resource mobilization, the BOAD seeks to raise more concessional funds to support development across the WAEMU.

According to Serge Ekue, although this mid-term review is "broadly in line with our objectives", it is now a matter of "intensifying our efforts in the mobilization of resources, notably concessional, even pre-concessional, their allocation, to provide our States and our populations with responses commensurate with the needs expressed and expectations."

At its recent board meeting, the BOAD released CFA60 billion for Togo, in support of two projects: the Agropoles project and the development of the Tchaasémondè - Gandé - Agbang road. The sum was allocated out of CFA162 billion newly allocated for the WAEMU.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo is the top WAEMU member in terms of financial inclusion. "In 2023, the rate of use of financial services in Togo reached 87.1%, fruit of the concerted efforts of the government and financial sector players," said Mazamesso ASSIH, Minister of Financial Inclusion, last Thursday, on the sidelines of a regional consultation workshop on the revision of the regional financial inclusion strategy.

Togo started working on its national strategy for financial inclusion in 2021. Since then, the country has been launching affordable financial products for its people,  especially the vulnerable and those living in rural areas.

"Financial inclusion gives every individual, regardless of social status, gender, age or geographical location, the opportunity to access a diversified range of financial services tailored to their specific needs and aspirations," said Minister ASSIH. "By promoting savings, investment, entrepreneurship, and risk management, financial inclusion helps to reduce poverty, strengthen household resilience, and stimulate economic growth in our countries.", she added.

Towards a new sub-regional strategy

At the sub-regional level, the WAEMU launched a regional financial inclusion strategy in 2019. 

According to Mazamesso ASSIH, Togo’s new regional strategy should meet every resident’s needs, improve financial education and consumer protection, foster digital financial inclusion, and leverage technology to make financial services more accessible and affordable.

Lomé-based airline Asky recently unveiled plans to purchase two Boeing 787s per year.

The carrier revealed its ambition at the 2024 AviaDev Africa, which ended on June 21 in Windhoek, Namibia.

According to Martial Tevi-Bénissan, Asky's commercial director, the plan might be hampered by a global plane shortage, especially the Airbus model that Asky seeks.

"There is currently an availability issue on the plane market. But at least we can revise our plan because we don't want to be stuck. When you look at the market for this year, there's almost no availability, mainly because of delays in the delivery of new aircraft. If we cannot go through with our initial plan,  we will add a new aircraft and at least one destination every year," the executive declared.

Asky’s ambition to expand should both help the company be more competitive and contribute to Lomé’s goal of becoming an air travel hub in the sub-Saharan African region.

Esaïe Edoh