Togo could soon adopt a master plan for the development of its coast (SDAL). The project was discussed last week, on Oct. 26, at the Council of Ministers.

The SDAL, according to a statement relayed by the minister of maritime economy and coastal protection, Edem Kokou Tengue, will be based on scientific data and will emphasize an integrated ecosystem management approach.

The plan should foster space rationalization and proper execution of development projects, " to meet the challenges of rising waters linked to climate change".

The move will also help to develop the economic and tourism potential of Togo's coastal strip and improve its management.

The SDAL is backed by institutions such as the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank.

Esaïe Edoh

The Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) plans to set up an instant payment system within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).

In the long run, this interoperable platform should be active 24/7, processing cross-account payments. 

The BCEAO will present the project on November 16, 2023, during a webinar targeting app developers "who wish to integrate a payment solution into their products." The webinar’s participants will learn in depth how the platform will work.

The regional bank noted that the upcoming payment system punctuates a growing interest in combining new technologies to develop financial solutions in the sub-regional space. In particular, the Central Bank has expressed its desire to better monitor fintechs in the Community.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Faure Gnassingbé, the President of Togo, is in Paris where he attends the 22nd International Economic Forum on Africa. Organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the African Union Commission, the forum started on Tuesday, October 31. 

At the event, Gnassingbe and his other African peers are looking at issues relating to investment in Africa for inclusive growth and sustainable development. They also discuss public policies and best practices, as well as opportunities for deepening the OECD-Africa partnership.

Discussions will also focus on exploring investment opportunities on the continent, solutions to stimulate sustainable investment, and reforms to the global financial architecture likely to improve access to affordable financing.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo exported 3,500 t and 9,000 t of coffee and cocoa, respectively, in the 2022-2023 sales campaign. The figures were disclosed last Friday, Oct. 27, by the Coffee-Cocoa Coordination Committee (CCFCC). On the same day, the Committee launched the 2023-2024 sales campaign in Kpalimé.

Compared to the 2021-2022 campaign, exports in the recent season are up by 9% and 63%, respectively. Indeed, the country had sold 3,200 t and 5,500 t of coffee and cocoa in 2021-2022. The year before that, in 2020-2021, the exports were even lower, standing at 2,000 t and 5,400 t, respectively.

For this new season, the CCFCC urged both sectors’ actors to take advantage of market diversification and better prices.

"While our ambition is to manage to consume most of it (production, ed. note) locally, it goes without saying that much of it is currently destined for export. Our aim must, therefore, be to increase our production, which is still low. To achieve this, we need to increase cultivation areas, and raise the productivity of plantations,” advised the Minister for Trade, Kayi Mivedor.

Esaïe Edoh

Lomé hosted today, October 31, a virtual meeting on “Digital strategies to boost local consumption in Togo”. The five-hour meeting was organized by the Ministry of Trade and its partners, in the framework of the “Mois du Consommer Local”. Experts and key actors in the sector took part in the event. 

Panelists included Mrs. Ameyo Adovon, Director of Local Consumption, Dr. Yao Sogadji, President of the Ligue des Consommateurs du Togo (LCT), Edem Adjamagbo, CEO and founder of Semoa, Digital Finance expert, Sitou Yibokou, Managing Partner of Made in Togo and promoter of the "Semaine du eCommerce" in Togo, and Rachid Mensah, a Consultant specialized in digital processes.

The goal of the meeting was to look at the digital strategies that can help bolster local consumption in Togo.

This year, Togo held the fourth edition of the Mois du Consommer Local (Consuming Local Month). This one-month fair promotes local products and services across the country. 

Pan-African carrier Asky Airlines added a new Boeing ET-BAG to its fleet last Friday, October 27th.

"We are delighted to inform you that, ASKY has added on this day, October 27, 2023, a brand-new Boeing ET-BAG to its ever-expanding fleet," the Lomé-based company wrote on its social media accounts.

The new plane is "equipped with the latest technologies in terms of safety and comfort, guaranteeing flights in complete serenity". It will help the airlines connect more destinations via the Togolese capital from Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport. This is in a context where the Lomé airport has been morphing into the sub-region’s logistics hub in recent years.

Last September, Asky acquired two planes to expand its destinations, to Paris and Asian capitals.

Asky Airlines is a private-public company. The Togolese State owns 14% of the airlines. 

Esaïe Edoh 

The Port of Lomé’s fourth tugboat was officially commissioned last Friday, October 27th. Edem Tengue, Minister of Maritime Economy, commissioned the vessel, an ASD TUG 2312 class tug, alongside officials from the Port Autonome de Lomé (PAL).

With the boat, which has exceptional design and powerful engine, the port will be able to accommodate 400m-long ships. "The PAL can now accommodate even larger vessels than it did", said Minister Tengue.

The new tugboat, according to the PAL’s management, will be "assigned to the towing of mega-ships, and its huge container ships. This "will enable the Port of Lomé to strengthen its strategic and competitive positioning in relation to its rivals on the West African coast".

The vessel is designed for the departure, berthing, and salvaging of commercial vessels. It will enhance the port's operational capacities and keep Lomé in a competitive position vis-à-vis the ports of Abidjan and Tema in the West African region, as well as the recently expanded port of Lekki in Nigeria. The boat was acquired from the Boluda company.

Esaïe Edoh

The new master plan for development and urban planning for Greater Lomé will soon be finalized. This was disclosed by the Minister of Urban Planning and Housing, Kodjo Adédzé, at the Council of Ministers meeting held last Thursday, October 26.

This plan will help regulate Lomé's spatial occupation and put an end to structural imbalances, ultimately ensuring harmonious development of the territory.

According to the Togolese authorities, the new urbanization plan for Greater Lomé will not only facilitate the implementation of public investment projects and enhance the capital's attractiveness but also improve the living environment of its residents.

This plan is updated based on strong expansion and significant demographic dynamics.

Its elaboration is part of the pilot phase of a larger program under which urban development plans will be drawn up for the country's 117 municipalities. This pilot phase also includes the municipalities of Avé 2 and Zio 2.

Esaïe Edoh

The Council of Ministers of Togo adopted last Thursday, October 26, a decree to create and operate a national office for protected areas (ONAP).

The ONAP "will be responsible in particular for implementing national forest policy in terms of the sustainable management of national parks, wildlife reserves, habitat and species management reserves, natural resource management zones, zones of hunting interest and zoo-botanical gardens". 

Placed under the technical supervision of the Ministry of the Environment and the financial supervision of the Ministry of the Economy and Finance, the new entity will also coordinate operations, ensure the sustainability of the various achievements, and facilitate the mobilization of appropriate human, material and financial resources to fulfill its missions.

The ONAP’s creation, according to the government, stems from the findings of an institutional audit of Togo’s natural resource management. The findings underscore the importance of entrusting the management of national protected areas to an autonomous body for more effective intervention.

This body, the ONAP, could, according to Lomé, help the country expand its forest coverage to 25% by 2025.

Esaïe Edoh