Togo First
Germany offers Togo the second batch of Covid vaccines
Germany offered Togo 633,600 doses of Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccines on November 25, 2021. The batch, which was provided under the Covax initiative, is the second that Germany gives Togo. It was received by the country's health authorities at the Gnassingbé Eyadéma International Airport (AIGE).
According to Wotobe Kokou, secretary-general of the Togolese ministry of health, the new doses come right on time. He said they would "boost the fast-paced vaccination campaign that is ongoing in Togo." Launched on November 22, the campaign will last two weeks.
Also, local health authorities said, the batch should help Togo achieve its goal of having over a million people vaccinated by the end of the year.
In response, Camilla Gendolla, Chargé d'Affaires at the German Embassy in Togo, explained that Germany, through the provision, "integrates itself into a global solidarity movement
with a contribution of one billion euros to the Covax initiative."
Let's recall that last September, Germany gave Togo 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca.
EU grants Togo CFA9.5 billion to boost electrification in urban areas
The European Union (EU) will allocate CFA9.5 billion to the PERECUT - a Togolese program aimed at boosting access to electricity in urban areas. The grant agreement was signed on November 23 in Lomé by Sani Yaya, Togo's Minister of Economy and Finance, and Rémy Rioux, Director General of the French Development Agency (AFD), on behalf of the EU.
Adding this facility, the EU has so far poured CFA45.6 billion in the PERECUT which was launched in 2020. In detail, the three-year program plans for the laying of 190km of medium voltage networks, 1,660 of low voltage networks, and the construction of 371 MV/LV transformer stations. "The project will also support the Electrification for All Program through the provision of 58,000 additional meters," a statement on the Presidency’s website notes.
"The grant agreement of 14.5 million euros (9.5 billion CFA francs), which we have just signed with the AFD’s Director-General reflects the excellence of cooperation relations between the European Union and the Togolese Republic," said Sani Yaya.
"This European Union grant delegated to AFD complements the concessional loan of 40 million euros (26.2 billion CFA francs) granted by AFD and a KFW grant of 15 million euros (about 10 billion euros) for the implementation of the project," Yaya added.
The new support facility was spearheaded by a group of European institutions called the Europe Team. This coalition, which includes the European Commission's Directorate for International Partnerships, the AFD and the KFW (German Development Fund), aims to better coordinate the actions of the EU and its member countries for the benefit of developing countries. It has been carrying out a mission in Lomé for some days now.
"Without electricity, society and the economy lack dynamism. I am particularly proud that the Team Europe Initiative with France, Germany and the European Union has been able to contribute to this important project," said Dénis Koen, Director of International Partnerships at the European Commission.
Klétus Situ
AfDB provides a BOAD €150M loan facility to support the private sector in WAEMU
The West African Development Bank (BOAD) will soon get a €150 million (CFA98 billion) credit facility from the African Development Bank (AfDB). The funds will support the private sector in WAEMU’s eight-member States which are covered by the BOAD. The latter made the announcement last Tuesday after its 126th board meeting.
"This facility aims to support private sector companies in the WAEMU zone across all sectors, with an emphasis on projects related to agriculture, women empowerment and the improvement of people's living conditions,” the BOAD said.
"A minimum of 10% of the resources obtained via this line of credit must be used to finance projects led by women entrepreneurs or benefit women entrepreneurs,” the Lomé-based institution added.
The new loan facility, a significant milestone in the BOAD’s DJOLIBA investment plan, also aims to rebalance support to the public and private sectors. This, in a context where the Bank has mostly backed government-led projects since it was created.
A few days ago, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development - the other regional development bank (also based in Lomé) - secured CFA40 billion from the Bank of Africa (BOA) to support back the private sector. In that case, however, the facility covers all 15 ECOWAS countries.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Covid-19: Togo’s health pass now recognized in EU, a first in SSA region
Starting from November 25, 2021, the European Union (EU) will be allowing those with a Togolese Covid health pass to travel across the community. Togo thus becomes the first sub-Saharan African country to enjoy this status.
"The Togolese government and the European Union Delegation are pleased to announce the recognition today of the digital vaccination certificate of Togo in all 27 countries of the European Union," reads a joint statement released yesterday by Lomé and the EU delegation.
"The Togolese government has indeed implemented an effective vaccination strategy for the population that places Togo among the most vaccinated countries in the sub-region," the document indicates. Indeed, one million people (25% of Togo’s population) are already registered on the digital platform set up to enrol and monitor vaccinated people.
"The recognition of the Togolese certificate by the European system attests to the importance for our country to build interoperable digital solutions that meet international norms and standards," said Cina Lawson, Togo’s minister of the digital economy and digital transformation.
Togo, let’s emphasize, is connected to Europe’s COVID digital certificate platform. Singapore also. "I am [also] delighted that we have the first country in Southeast Asia (Singapore) and the first country in sub-Saharan Africa (Togo) that will be interconnected to the COVID digital certificate platform," said Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice.
At present, about 1.5 million doses of Covid vaccines have been administered in Togo. This translates to 18.2 doses per 100 people. Also, 6.1% of the population is fully vaccinated, according to data gathered by Our World in Data.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togolese gvt’ signs updated charter for MSMEs
The Togolese government and the private sector officially signed on Tuesday the new charter for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The agreement paves the way for the provision of this updated document to the actors of this sector.
The document was initialed by the minister for financial inclusion and the informal sector, Mazamesso Assih, representing the government, and the respective bosses of the coalition of Togolese small and medium-sized businesses (GTPME/PMI) and the national council of employers, Innocent Démanya Ayivi and Laurent Tamegnon, who represented the private sector.
The charter defines the general framework of incentives established to foster MSMEs’ growth as well as obligations and commitments of actors concerned. Its implementation will "facilitate the formalization of informal businesses," said the minister of informal sector.
The government believes the charter is good news for Togolese businesses as it will help provide non-financial support to MSMEs, especially regarding "land and registration procedures, and also to secure financing". It "will also allow MSMEs to form a strong unit, and consequently access financing mechanisms more easily," according to the minister of communication and media, Prof Akodah Ayewouadan.
The charter takes into account four categories of enterprises, namely nano-enterprises, micro enterprises, small enterprises and medium enterprises. These should have a turnover that ranges between CFA5 million and CFA1 billion.
Esaïe Edoh
EDF Pulse Africa 2021: Sungaz and Atingan to represent Togo and Benin in Paris
Sungaz and Atingan Solutions are the two startups that will respectively represent Togo and Benin at the grand finale of the 2021 edition of the EDF Pulse Africa Contest next December in Paris. They were picked among eight other startups at the end of the Togo-Benin phase of the “EDF Africa Pulse Tour” which was hosted by the Energy Generation support structure on November 22 in Lomé.
The two startups tackle the same challenge with almost-similar products. Sungaz’s solution is a photovoltaic induction cooker that also provides access to electrical energy.
Chief of Project, Sungaz, holding his trophy
Regarding Atingan Solutions, it offers eponymous fireplaces equipped with solar panels and accumulators. It has so far sold 5,000 units of these fireplaces, which also have lamps and USB ports, in Benin. “This project has been approved by the entire jury. We are very proud of it and hope it will represent Benin well,” said Anderson Ahoua Boua, Off-GRID business manager at EDF, and a member of the jury.
Besides these two projects, the jury picked Pneumo Generator, a project which promotes an autonomous energy production and storage device for rural and semi-rural areas, as “favorite project.” The prototype will get tailored support in Lomé for its development and deployment.
From left to right, Anderson Ahoua Boua, Jocelyne Caballero (French ambassador to Togo), the representative of Atingan Solutions, and Astria Fataki
“Each of the winners for his or her country was unanimous. It must be said that the projects are of very high quality. And so we are very proud to send them to the final” said Astria Fataki, founder and CEO of Energy Generation.
The award ceremony was attended by Jocelyne Caballero, Ambassador of France to Togo and Mila Aziable, Minister Delegate, in charge of mines and energy. “The Ministry of Mines and Energy, which I head, is fully involved in the initiative that brings us together today and which aims to encourage and support local entrepreneurship in contributing to energy transition in the power sector,” said Mila Aziable before reiterating the full commitment of the Togolese government, EDF and its partners to “keep strengthening cooperation ties and coordinate entrepreneurship-supporting actions more effectively.”
Mila Aziablé during her speech
The EDF Pulse Africa Contest was launched in 2018 by Electricité de France group. Its purpose is to provide innovative African SMEs and Startups that operate in the power sector financial (cash prize of up to €15,000) and technical support via the EDF Pulse Africa Factory acceleration program. In 2019, the Togolese Adakpo Boutamekpo, who was a member of the 2021 jury for the Togo-Benin phase, won the second prize at the EDF Africa Pulse grand final.
Klétus Situ
KYA Energy teams up with education and research center 2ie
KYA Energy Group, the Togolese manufacturer and dealer of solar-powered generators and devices, has signed a collaboration partnership with Institut International d'Ingénierie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement (2IE). Under the agreement, the two partners will collaborate in many segments, notably training, research and development, and experience sharing.
The agreement, which was signed in Ouagadougou, “will facilitate recruitment of 2iE students as interns at KYA and its partner companies, the immersion of 2iE's teacher-researchers, the development of R&D activities of common interest, the co-financing of research, and more”, according the KYA Energy.
This agreement, we learn, makes KYA the focal point in Togo of all former graduates of 2iE (Alumni).
KYA Energy Group, it should be noted, is involved in the CIZO rural electrification project, as well as in another to give electricity to health centers in Togo’s rural areas.
Institut 2iE is a higher education and research center based in Burkina Faso and member of the Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE). Founded in 2006, it focuses on water and sanitation, environment, energy and electricity, civil engineering, mining, and management sciences.
Covid-19: Togo gets 150,000 more doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines
Barely 24 hours after receiving more than 300,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine offered by the US, Togo received – on Tuesday, - 151,200 new doses of the same vaccine - This time, on order.
The latest batch is the third the Togolese government has ordered, via the African Union. With it, the number of doses that the country has secured on order now stands at 626,400.
According to the Minister of Health, Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, this delivery comes at an opportune moment as Togo currently carries out an accelerated vaccination campaign against Covid-19. The latter began on November 22 and will end on December 6.
"The challenge now is consumption, hence the accelerated vaccination campaign, which will span two weeks and aims to help cover the whole Togolese population,” Mijiyawa said.
Food Security : World Bank to deploy $570M program in several West African countries, including Togo
The World Bank recently approved a $570 million food system resilience program (FSRP) for several West African countries, including Togo. The program will be implemented in multiple phases.
The first phase, which amounts to $330 million, will cover Togo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and involve three regional organizations - the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), and the West and Central Africa Council for Agriculture Research and Development (CORAF).
According to the World Bank, that phase will focus on implementing a “broad program that will simultaneously increase agricultural productivity through climate-smart agriculture, promote intraregional value chains and trade, and build regional capacity to manage agricultural risk.”
“Food crisis prevention and management are best achieved at a regional level to mitigate, diversify, and transfer production risks and allow for economies of scale. This program enables greater cooperation to ensure food security, now and into the future, for the benefits of the populations in ECOWAS,” said Jean Claude Kassi Brou, President of the ECOWAS Commission.
Overall, the FSRP should be based on the World Bank’s projections, directly impacting four million people - farmers (women and youth especially), small producers and processors, as well as small and medium-sized agricultural businesses.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Covid-19: US provides a fourth batch of vaccines to Togo
Togo received 336,000 more doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines from the US last Sunday. The batch, supplied under the COVAX initiative, brings to 1,245,090 the total number of vaccine doses that Washington has offered Lomé so far.
This is the fourth batch coming to the United States. It will help Togo accelerate its Covid vaccination campaign (started on March 10, 2021).
It is worth recalling that the parking lot of the US embassy in Togo currently serves as a vaccination centre; it will stay so until December 16, 2021.
According to data recently disclosed by Togolese health authorities, Togo has over a million doses of Covid-19 vaccines in stock. Also, the country, according to the Financial Times, has already vaccinated more than 4.9% of its population.
Esaïe Edoh