The Togolese State plans to allocate a budget of CFA1.1 billion to fishing and aquaculture this year. This is about half of the maritime economy ministry for 2023: CFA2.3 billion.

The funds will enable the Togo Aquaculture Project (PDAT) to continue. The latter is currently at the pilot stage and is being carried out at the Nangbeto Lake.

According to the ministry, the money will specifically serve to technically help fish farmers set floating cages, and organize workshops on aquaculture techniques. 

Besides, fishermen, in particular those working at Lomé’s fishing port, will receive support to boost their output. "In line with the 2022-2025 roadmap, meeting fishery needs remains a priority. We are working to create the conditions to boost national production towards meeting local demand," said Edem Tengue, minister of the maritime economy..

Togo’s aquaculture output stood at 1,151 tons of fish in 2022, against 730 tons in 2020.  However, last year 11,567 t of fish were caught through artisanal maritime fishing, 117 t through industrial fishing, and 6,300 t were caught in continental waters.

Esaïe Edoh 

The first batch of the Institut de formation en alternance pour le développement (IFAD-Aquaculture), the first aquaculture school of Togo, just graduated. 

The graduation ceremony took place last Friday (Feb 10) and was presided over by President Gnassingbé.  A total of 113 people graduated, including 27 females.

The program included three years of formal training followed by the creation of aquaculture farms. The graduates founded 19 cooperative businesses and 21 individual businesses on 26 different sites across the country.

During the ceremony, President Gnassingbé congratulated the trainers for their work and encouraged them to cultivate excellence. This, the leader added, will help build wealth and create jobs.

An initiative of the Presidency, the IFAD-Aquaculture is the first of 10 planned. It is located in Elevagnon, in the prefecture of East Mono. The academy currently has 120 learners.

Out of the 10 planned IFADs, three are already operational. They respectively offer aquaculture (Elavagnon), livestock (in Barkoissi), and construction (Lomé).

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria will allocate €112 million to Togo (CFA74 billion) for the period 2023-2025.

The minister of health is holding a national workshop focused on the allocation, and the session will define the various programs that will benefit from the funding. Also, during the workshop, participants will draw the country application that will be submitted to the Global Fund by May 29, 2023.

According to Dr. Akou Pignandji, the National Coordinator of the Permanent Secretariat of the Global Fund's Country Coordinating Mechanism in Togo, this workshop is an opportunity to discuss the strategic axes and mechanisms to be put in place to develop a quality strategic concept note. "I can assure you that since the Global Fund has been with Togo, there are currently 81,000 people on ARVs. That is to say that AIDS is no longer a problem as we thought at the time," he added.

Togo and the Fund have been fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, together, since 2002. Over the past 21 years, the partnership has helped provide bed nets to more than five million people, and this number is expected to increase this year, according to the top brass of this collaboration in Togo.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Over the past decade, over 45,000 rural jobs have been created or improved as part of the Rural Development and Agriculture Development Program (ProDRA). The information came from GIZ, the German cooperation that steers the Togolese program. 

The ProDRA, according to the source, also helped raise the income of more than 12,000 agricultural actors in Togo over the period (with an average income standing at CFA280,000). Youth and women represented 42% and 31% of this pool, respectively. 

Relative to planning, the program induced the establishment of four national agricultural development strategies. Three of these strategies covered the following sectors: mango, organic cocoa, and organic pineapple. The last strategy is an industrial strategy to transform fruits and vegetables.

As part of the program, €400,000 (about CFA250 million) worth of seeds and equipment were supplied. In addition, 125,000 farmers were helped (group sales and purchases, internet bundles, product transport, compliance with good practices, etc.) to grow their offer and improve their organization, and consequently be more competitive. Last but least, 30,000 actors benefit from technical, financial, and organizational support. 

Launched in 2013, the ProDRA is co-financed by the European Union  (EU) and Germany. Throughout the 10 years during which it was deployed, the program drew from these two backers an investment of €21.2 million. Germany provided the bigger part: €16.5 million.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo, the government will seek CFA35 billion more to accelerate the deployment of the Savanes Region Emergency Program (PURS in French), a program aimed at making the people of this region more resilient to terrorist attacks. This was revealed last Thursday, during a meeting between the government and its technical and financial partners (TFPs) on the project. 

The government counts mainly on the United Nations System, bilateral and multilateral partners, and development banks to get the money. According to Aliou Mamadou Dia, resident representative of the UNDP in Togo, these actors are still committed to the project. Dia added that so far, the  TFPs’ commitment to the project amounts to CFA150 billion for the 2022-2025 period. This is against a budget of CFA200 billion. 

During the meeting, the various parties talked mainly about expanding the PURS, very soon, in the Kara and Central regions, and the funds sought should contribute to this objective.

Earlier this year, the government revealed that CFA50 billion has already been injected into the project and helped expand rural networks by 15%-20% and extend access to drinking water to 80,000 people. The monies also allowed the provision of electricity to 15,000 more households.

The PURS was launched in 2022 in response to the attacks of terrorists which started hitting the Savanes region (in the North) in November 2021.

Esaïe Edoh

For its third issue on the regional market–UEMOA securities–this year, Togo raised CFA34 billion. This is one billion less than its target for the operation, a simultaneous issue of fungible treasury bills and bonds. 

Twenty-five (25) investors took part in the operation, according to a report released by the UEMOA securities agency. They mobilized a total of CFA56 billion, out of which Lomé retained CFA34 billion. 

Regarding the amount retained, the report further indicates that 15 billion were raised from the fungible bills (which have a maturity period of 91 days), and 19 billion came from the bonds–10 billion from the bonds maturing over 3 years and 9 billion from those maturing over 5 years. 

Including last week’s issue, Togo has raised CFA80 billion on the regional market so far, in 2023. This is out of an annual target of 574 billion.

Esaïe Edoh

In Togo, the funds allocated to the Covid-19 Response and Solidarity Fund (CRSF) were used appropriately. This is the conclusion of an audit report issued on February 1, 2023, by the Court of Auditors of Togo. 

Commenting on the report’s results, the government in a press release dated 9 February 2023 said it “is pleased that this report revealed that spending related to barriers, response or health measures are conformed, regular and sincere.” The authorities added that funds mobilized through the CRSF were “utilized per the clauses of the grant and loan agreements on the one hand, and in compliance with the texts in force and those taken in the context of the health emergency on the other hand.”

Also, the government stressed that “the expenditures, which fall under the State budget, comply with existing laws, including those adopted during the health emergency.”

Though it noted some shortcomings in the report, the government congratulated the court of audit for doing a job that “attests of the good functioning of State institutions, in respect of the Constitution, as well the Togolese authorities’ desire for transparency.”

According to Lomé, the shortcomings unveiled by the audit “do not point to any fake expenditure or indicate that funds were embezzled or used illegally.” 

Esaïe Edoh

Over the past year, the government of Togo allocated CFA1.27 billion to its ministry of social action. Most of the funds (99.28%) were used up and helped finance projects that impacted more than 800,000 people, including nearly 500,000 girls and women.

The ministry of social action disclosed the details after the annual review of the ministry which was held last week in Sokodé. Main and remote officials from the ministry took part in the meeting, alongside representatives from partner ministries, technical and financial partners, and civil society. 

Over half a billion CFA from technical and financial partners 

In 2022, technical and financial partners supported the ministry of social action with about CFA528 million. 

Over 800,000 beneficiaries

The biggest share of all funds dedicated to social actions last year went to the Savanes region in the North.  

Regarding the number of beneficiaries, the ministry found that more than 230,000 people benefited from the actions. These include handicapped, old, and displaced people, but also victims of disasters and refugees. They benefited from training, sensitization campaigns, and healthcare.

Regarding children's protection, there were more than 314,000 beneficiaries. They benefited from measures aimed at preventing and treating abuse, tackling trafficking, and advancing adolescent leadership. Also, a little over 26,000 people have been enrolled in literacy and non-formal education.

For their part, social actions targeting women initiated by the ministry of social action covered more than 232,000 women.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Togolese ministry for investment promotion is in a meeting with a group of British investors presently in Togo. The meeting started yesterday and closes today. 

The British investors came as part of a trade mission initiated by DMA Invest. Backed by UK Export Finance (UKEF), the mission covers several African countries.

On the first day of the talks, Togo’s minister in charge of promoting investments, Rose Kayi Mivedor, and other representatives from the government, the Togolese employers’ association, and Orabank Togo hosted a high-level panel. Many actors from the public and private sectors, civil society, and local investors were also present.

"A short but effective program, comprising an investment promotion roundtable and B2B and BtoG sessions, will allow us to enlighten British business leaders more about investment opportunities and partnership possibilities with State structures and the private sector, in the industries of networks, water, agriculture, construction and health, mining, services, logistics, etc.," said Rose Kayi Mivedor, at the meeting’s opening.

"The goal is to promote the attractiveness of Togo to investors, key institutions of the United Kingdom, and unveil the vision of inclusive sustainable development to its patient investors," the official added.

On the first day, Togolese entrepreneurs presented investment opportunities existing in the country.

For the public sector, representatives of various ministries presented various projects, including wastewater treatment projects, the N°1 road construction expansion project, and energy-related projects. 

Among the various private sector representatives who expressed themselves yesterday were: Aimée Abra Tenu, Togolese entrepreneur and director of Kari Kari Africa, Samuel Mivedor, Managing Director of the Togolese investment fund, Togo Invest, Guy Martial Awona, Managing Director of Orabank Togo, Thierry Metzger, Director for Africa of Intertek, Martial Akakpo from the Martial Akakpo Law Office, and Steve Gray, from UKEF West Africa.

The British trade mission came to Togo four months after Togo joined the Commonwealth. At that time, the country also attended a Forum dedicated to the Franco-British States of West and Central Africa.

Last year, by the end of the third quarter, Togo, it should be noted, raised about CFA107.1 billion in investments. The amount, disclosed by the ministry of investment promotion, covers 24 projects.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi