Several ECOWAS experts-members of the ECOWAS Community Committee for Technical Regulation (ECOREG)- are hosting a meeting in Lomé. Started on September 4, the 3-day gathering aims to validate 14 proposed application regulations concerning four value chains: mango, cassava, textile and clothing, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

The meeting is steered by the ECOWAS Commission and financed by the European Union (EU). It falls under the West Africa Quality and Infrastructure Competitiveness Project (WACQIP).

Primarily, participants will discuss the synchronization and harmonization of technical regulatory efforts amongst member states. Their overarching goal, however, is to bolster the quality of products circulating across the ECOWAS.

According to Agence Togolesse de Presse, during the meeting, four Technical Harmonization Working Groups will deliberate over their respective value chains. For "Mango," they will address technical specifications for both fresh mangoes and their derivatives. For "Cassava and its derivatives," discussions will cover pesticide dosages and heavy metals in tubers, alongside quality inspection procedures and environmental standards. "Textiles and Clothing" and "ICT" sectors will also be reviewed, with the latter focusing especially on personal data protection and cybersecurity.

It should be noted that last week, the Togolese capital hosted a preliminary meeting related to the ongoing roundtable.

The University of Lomé (UL) has a new Chancellor: Prof. Adama Mawulé Kpodar. He has just been appointed and will be taking the place of Prof. Komla Dodzi Kokoroko, who headed the university for seven years. 

Before his appointment, Prof. Kpodar was the director general of the National School of Administration or Ecole National d’Administration (ENA). 

Dodzi Kokoroko was Chancellor of the UL for two terms. During the period, several projects aimed at modernizing the university were carried out. These include construction and rehabilitation works, and curricular improvements. The Polytechnic School of Lomé was established within the period. Prof. Kokoroko is also the Minister of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education, and Craftsmanship as well. 

Under Kokoroko, and in three years only, the UL gained 38 places in Africa’s top universities ranking. It is now among the top 200 universities on the continent. 

In parallel to the appointment of Prof. Adama Kpodar, who replaces Prof. Kokoroko, Prof. Tachriè Kokou was called to head the University of Kara in the north. Kokou, who is also the president of the Société des Sciences Mathématiques du Togo (SSMaT) and Professor Emeritus in Mathematics, replaces Prof. Komlan Sanda as Chancellor. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

For the fourth consecutive year, Togo will hold, in October the Local Consumption Month. The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Local Consumption announced the event on September 2. 

"Dear economic operators, managers of Togolese Très Petites, Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, producers, processors, and promoters of local products, the 4th edition of the Mois du Consommer Local is coming up in October 2023 with an enticing program for you," tweeted the Ministry of Commerce.

The upcoming edition will be an occasion to promote local goods and services and foster interest in them. 

The Local Consumption Month is an event that aligns with the decision taken by the ministers in charge of trade of the UEMOA member states in October 2019, relating to the reorientation of consumption patterns to enhance the value of nationals, through the transformation of local products and services.

Esaïe Edoh

Canada’s new ambassador to Togo, Ms. Martine Moreau, presented her credentials to the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, last week.

It was a pleasure to receive a copy of credentials letters of the new designated -Ambassador of Canada Mrs Martine Moreau in Lomé . The cooperation between Togo and Canada continues to strengthen! Happy to cement the next dynamic phase of our relationship #Canada #CanadaNews… pic.twitter.com/6xlhhZM3uo

— Robert Dussey (@rdussey) September 2, 2023

Like her predecessors, the Canadian Ambassador will be based in Ghana. Martine Moreau has several years of experience as a diplomat, and with this experience, she will continue strengthening cooperation between Canada and Togo. 

Her appointment comes at a time of increased bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Last June, Togo's Minister of Commerce, Kodjo Adedze, visited Canada, following multiple prospecting visits by Canadian investors to Togo.

The Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) has updated its provisions covering the handling of goods subject to Tariff Specification Codes (CST) and the use of donation certificates for exemptions and concessions.

The first change, which came into effect on September 1, extends the application of the CST to all computerized customs units across the country. Consequently, according to the OTR, "the handling of all goods subject to the CST is now effective in its offices."

The second provision mandates that donation certificates must now be signed by the actual donors of the goods to be valid and accepted.

"For donation certificates to be valid and accepted, they must be issued and signed by the actual donors of the goods. Therefore, per the provisions of the national customs code, any donation certificate issued and signed by an intermediary cannot be accepted for the benefit of exemptions and concessions," the Tax Authority said.

Lomé will host the first edition of the "Maritimafrica Week" from September 26 to 28. The event will be held under the theme: "Putting the blue economy at the service of Africa's development" and will bring together key players of Africa’s blue economy and their partners from other parts of the world. They will cover major issues and challenges of the maritime sector.

The event will feature an exhibition, conferences, and seminars (face-to-face and virtual), discovery tours of Togo's maritime infrastructures and blue economy, and B2B meetings.

According to the organizers, the meeting should produce measures that will strengthen coastal protection for a sustainable future, and contribute to women empowerment for a flourishing blue economy in Africa. Sustainable opportunities, challenges, and solutions for the future of the maritime sector will be widely addressed in this framework. 

"These panels offer the opportunity to present and share best practices with a targeted audience in Togo, Africa, and the world. This will highlight actions, and promote activities and services while strengthening credibility in the sector," organizers said. 

This first edition of "Maritimafrica Week" is committed to strengthening networking and offering access to new business opportunities. 

The event is an initiative of Maritimafrica, a bilingual (French/English) press group dedicated to the maritime sector in Africa.

Esaïe Edoh

The ECOWAS Community Committee for Conformity Assessment (ECOCONF) is currently meeting in Lomé to examine mechanisms to facilitate the free movement of goods within the community. 

"We will be working on the rules for mandating, but also on the regional recognition of the various conformity assessment bodies," said Olga Kouassi, Director of the ECOCONF’s Standards and Audit Office, and the Committee’s representative in Ivory Coast. "For this regional market to be assessed and inspected at the company level in each country, it is essential that inspection rules are harmonized, enabling each country to recognize certificates issued," she added.

The meeting opened on August 31 and on the occasion, the Togolese and Beninese winners of the second edition of the ECOWAS Quality Award were unveiled. The recipients include École Supérieure des Affaires (ESA), Cabinet Audit Expertise Comptable, both carried by Dr. Charles Birregah, from Togo, and Best Expert Conseil, from Benin, reports the Savoir News agency. 

To implement the reforms, ECOCONF is supported by the West African Competitiveness and Quality Infrastructure Project (WACOMP). Deployed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and financed by the European Union (EU), the WACOMP aims to boost the competitiveness of SMEs in the 16 countries covered, through the development of value chains (cassava and by-products; mango; textiles and clothing; information and communication technologies (ICT)) for greater production, processing, and export capabilities of the private sector. 

For Togolese stakeholders, the ongoing meeting also aims to harmonize the texts governing product inspection and control in each ECOWAS country, towards the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Togolese capital, Lomé, will host on September 9 the Youth Delivery Lab (YDL). This is a roundtable that will focus on the civic participation of youth in tackling youth issues and decision-making. Organized by the Youth for Youth (Y4Y) association, the meeting is themed: "From the promotion of local SMEs to the emergence of national champions: strategic issues and possible solutions for Togo."

About 500 young people –professionals, entrepreneurs, students– active in various sectors are expected to attend. The end goal of the gathering is to encourage these participants to develop a culture of civic-mindedness and patriotism. The Youth Delivery Lab is intended to be a forum for young people's civic participation in the government's vision, as well as a framework for exchange, networking, and the sharing of best practices between young people. The initiative is also intended as a tool for innovation and dynamism among young people in the service of development. 

This 1st edition of the YDL, according to the organizers, is initiated "to offer Togolese youth a voluntary program of capacity building (soft skills) and experience sharing to improve their employability."  Registration is compulsory for participation.