Togo First
Africsearch selected to put a team together to steer the e-ID Togo project
AfricSearch Togo has been picked to recruit the members of the Management Team in charge of the e-ID Togo project. The task was trusted to the subsidiary of the eponymous human resources consulting firm by the ministry of the digital economy and digital transformation.
In detail, the firm will find around 20 people, including a project manager. The deadline for application is March 22, 2021.
The recruitment will mark a new step in the e-ID project. The latter, let’s recall, should be completed in three stages: software development, sensitization campaign, and a national registration campaign.
The e-ID Togo project is backed by the World Bank, through its unique ID program for regional integration and inclusion in West Africa. In its framework, every Togolese citizen or any person living in Togo should get a unique ID number. In addition to helping draw a unique social registry, boosting health insurance coverage, and that of social protection mechanisms, the project will mostly accelerate operations in public services.
Séna Akoda
PM Dogbe, first Togolese figure to get Covid-19 vaccine
In Togo, the Covid-19 vaccination campaign officially began on March 10, 2021. The first person to get a shot of the AstraZeneca was Prime Minister Victoire Dogbe.
Under the pilot phase of the campaign, mainly health workers, both in the private and public sectors will be vaccinated. Besides them, it should cover 60% of people of more than 50 years old living in the Greater Lomé region - this makes nearly 180,000 people.
In the following stages, Togo expects around 450,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines which it should get under the Covax initiative. However, talks are underway to acquire Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Also, Lomé should receive part of the 240 million doses ECOWAS is set to secure via its “Vaccine Revolving Fund.”
Klétus Situ
AfDB disburses funds to push more women into ECOWAS’ digital financial market
To increase women’s participation in the West African finance industry, the African Development Bank (AfDB) disbursed $320,000 to promote gender inclusion in digital financial services across the ECOWAS space.
Announced last week, the new facility will help assess the gender gap and disparities in this sector. In effect, the funds will finance “a gender gap survey of several West African Monetary Agency (WAMA) strategies," including those related to “financial inclusion, gender-disaggregated data analysis, digital payment services and infrastructure, and digital identity.”
The project aims to raise to 35% women’s participation in the digital financial market’s operations in the region concerned. This, in a context where this sector records some disparities between men and women.
The program will be carried out by the WAMA, over three years. It should impact up to 350 million people across all 15 ECOWAS member States.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
An Algeria-Togo council will be established to boost economic cooperation between the two countries
Robert Dussey, Togolese minister of foreign affairs, and his Algerian counterpart, Sabri Boukadoum, met last Sunday. On this occasion, the two officials announced the creation of an Algeria-Togo business council to consolidate trade between their countries.
In detail, the council which will be set up by the Togolese and Algerian chambers of commerce will help facilitate concertation and cooperation between business actors from both nations. For Togo, this will be a platform to present investment opportunities its national development plan holds for Algerian investors.
“The Togolese government,” Dussey said, “wishes to tap into Algeria’s expertise in terms of agroindustrial processing as well as regarding the development of the Adétikopé Industrial Platform (PIA).”
According to data available (UN Comtrade), exports from Togo to Algeria stand below CFA200 million, which is very low, while imports stand around a billion CFA.
The West African country’s desire to boost trade with its Maghreb partner is partly attributable to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The latter should indeed ease trade among African countries, in a context where Algeria is one of those countries that trade the least with its neighbors across the continent.
Klétus Situ
PM Tomegah-Dogbe launches Program of Excellence for Women in Africa
On Monday, 8 March, PM Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé launched the Program of Excellence for Women in Africa (PEFA). The latter is a presidential initiative aimed at enabling more young women to create wealth for Togo.
In its pilot phase, the project will target 20 women, aged between 20 and 28 years, holding at least a bachelor's or in their final year of bachelor’s degree in a local university.
Women selected will receive a 2-year training on the professional world, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
“I’m happy to announce the first batch of this Pan-African program, an initiative shared by many countries including Togo, which is a reference when it comes to the promotion of women’s rights,” said the Prime Minister. She then encouraged more women to “try their luck” and apply for the program.
The new scheme is similar to Togo’s Presidential Excellence Program of the National Development Plan (PPEP). The latter helped train 20 youths and deployed them in decision-making bodies.
Let it be recalled Togo is the first country in the WAEMU, and the 7th in sub-Saharan Africa to promote women, both in the public and private sectors, according to a report recently released by the World Bank.
Séna Akoda
CNSS trains more than 100 companies on professional risks and how to manage them
The National Social Security Fund (CNSS) launched last Monday a 5-week workshop to boost businesses’ capacities relative to the management of professional risks.
According to a source close to the institution, the training sessions are taking place live and online. Organized in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), they target security, environment and hygiene staff, business physicians, and people in charge of human resources.
The workshops were initiated following a survey carried out by the CNSS, with ILO’s support. The study covered 104 public, para-public, private and informal businesses. It aims at “enabling these actors to master laws regulating the implementation of security and health measures at work, plan and monitor their implementation, and know the composition and missions of a professional security and health committee.”
Moreover, the trained staff will be able to “fully understand and identify risk factors and assess risks, knowingly categorizing risks and prevention measures.”
Moreover, each company taking part in the program should be, at its end, able to elaborate a unique risk assessment document covering risks related to Covid-19.
Séna Akoda
Covid-19: Togo recently received 156,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, vaccination begins
On March 7, 2021, Togo received its first doses of Covid-19 vaccines, in the framework of the Covax initiative. This first batch includes 156,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, 157,500 syringes, and 1,575 security boxes.
The stock came aboard an Air France cargo. It was received by the minister of health, Moustafa Mijiyawa, at the tarmac of the Gnassingbé Eyadémé International Airport.
“This first batch of vaccines will be administered to all health workers and part of the population aged 50 and over residing in Greater Lomé,” the government said. While it has been announced that vaccination activities will start on March 10, no information regarding the related sites is known yet.
So far it should be noted that the number of Covid-19 cases has exceeded 7,500 in Togo. Out of these, 92 died.
Klétus Situ
A soybean oil plant to be soon built at the Adetikopé industrial platform
Last Friday, the Adétikopé Industrial Platform (PIA) officially signed with Togo Agro Resources SAU an agreement welcoming the latter as its second shareholder, after Togo wood Industries SARL.
Togo Agro Resources “will process soybeans, into edible oil mainly, helping the country become a soybean oil exporter in the sub-region,” executives at the PIA said. In the coming months, the new investor will build an extraction factory and a soybean refinery. The output from these two facilities will be mostly exported.
It should be recalled that the PIA is developed by Olam, through its subsidiary Arise IIP. The estimated cost of the project is CFA130 billion. It should, according to forecast, create over 35,000 jobs.
Klétus Situ
Togo records second successful recovery bond issue on the regional market
Last Friday, Togo raised CFA148 billion for its latest simultaneous bond issue on the WAEMU securities market. The country, which was seeking CFA40 billion to restart its economy post-Covid, thus recorded a coverage rate of around 371% for the operation.
The bonds issued are fungible treasury bonds, with respective maturities of 36 months (3 years) and 60 months (5 years). The first garnered CFA39 billion and the second CFA109 billion. Over the amount raised, Togo will retain CFA40 billion.
The bonds' respective interest rates are 5.85% and 6.1%. They started taking value yesterday, March 8.
The UEMOA-securities agency announced that the bonds will be redeemed on the first business day following their respective maturity dates, March 08, 2024, and February 22, 2026.
Séna Akoda
EU launches survey to assess the state of its cooperation with Togo
On which priorities should the cooperation between the EU and Togo focus in 2021-2027? A survey was recently launched by the EU, Germany, and France, to obtain the answer to this question.
For those behind the survey, the aim is to get feedback that will enable them to better contribute to Togo’s development over the period concerned.
By answering the survey’s questions and sharing with us your opinions, priorities, and recommendations, you will help us know how to better contribute to Togo’s development in 2021-2027.
For now, the EU, Germany, France, said they identified three strategic projects: one to support development and inclusion, another one to foster the development of agricultural industries and protect the environment, and the last to consolidate peace and resilience in Togo.
Let it be recalled that in December 2020, during a meeting in Lomé, Togo’s minister of foreign affairs, Robert Dussey, said Togo was satisfied with its cooperation with the EU. The latter in response lauded Lomé for its “pragmatic” handling of the Covid-19 crisis.
Séna Akoda