After closing them for more than a year, Nigeria has reopened its land borders. The news, reported by local media, came from President Buhari who approved the immediate reopening of four land borders. 

“In my meeting with State Governors today, I explained that the closure of Nigeria’s land borders was partly an attempt to control the smuggling of weapons & drugs. Now that the message has sunk in with our neighbors, we’re looking into reopening the borders as soon as possible,” said Buhari on December 8, 2020.  The reopening, it should be noted, does not cancel restrictions on imports of products such as rice. 

The four borders concerned are Seme in the southwest, Illela in Sokoto State, Maigatari in the northwest, and Mfun in the south-south. Four more borders should reopen by December 31, 2020, according to the Nigerian minister of finance Zainab Ahmed. 

Let’s recall that Abudja’s unilateral decision (August 2019) to close the borders initially disrupted sectors depending on the Nigerian market. For example, it affected some Togolese exporters of tomatoes. 

Ironically, this decision came in just a few months before the full lockdown -land and air borders- resulting from Covid-19. Regarding land borders, WAEMU states agreed to reopen them in a concerted manner. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togolese manufacturer and supplier of electro-solar devices and generators, KYA Energy Group, plans to expand beyond Togo. 

Earlier this month (6-13 December), the group announced it delivered six mini hybrid (solar-diesel) generators to Mali. The equipment was received by Malian authorities and representatives of the WAEMU. They will serve six communities (Foh, Ouré-Kéléya, Niaradougou, Tigui, Kondogola and Nampasso) located in the Sikasso and Segou regions. 

Besides this first delivery, and still under the same project, KYA Energy Group will conduct studies, supply, set up, and commission eight (8) mini PV power plants, eight (8) hybrid and solar light poles. It must also carry out work to extend one (1) km of low-voltage electrical network for each locality covered.  

Let it be recalled that in addition to providing electro-solar products in Togo, KYA Energy Group also trained hundreds of technicians in off-grid solar technologies. It did so in its five academies - one in each of the five Togolese regions - in line with the CIZO rural electrification project. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Gozem signed with Singaporean fund manager Asia Africa Investment & Consulting (AAIC) a partnership to start providing health services. The partnership results from a recent investment the latter made in the former’s pre-series A round. 

“Gozem will benefit from AAIC’s strong experience in the health industry in Africa. We value investors that join us to make a difference with a unique value proposition,” said Gregory Costamagna, Co-Founder of Gozem.

In detail, the Uber-like platform “will provide health services in their existing markets, Togo and Benin, as well as all the markets they will open in 2021, including Gabon and Cameroon.” 

The new services will be launched in Gozem’s Super App launched in August 2020 after acquiring Délivroum, Togo’s main delivery app. 

Commenting on the partnership between the two companies, Shigeru Handa said:“Gozem is one of the most achieved Super Apps we’ve seen so far in Africa with its strong team. We will put our knowledge and facilitate access to our portfolio companies to accelerate added value to its Super App ecosystem.”

“We are excited to work with Gozem to build a solid healthcare ecosystem,” he concluded.

Séna Akoda

Orabank Togo and Togocom will launch Mbanking, a service that allows its users to transfer money between the bank and a mobile wallet. 

The project, which is in its pilot phase, aims to boost financial inclusion and increase people's access to banking services, using their mobile devices. 

Mbanking will enable users to manage their accounts, check their balance and transaction history, and in the future offer a nano-saving/loan product. 

The project could consolidate the presence of both partners (Oragroup and Axian, respectively parent firms of Orabank Togo and Togocom) on the Mobile Money and Mobile Banking segments. 

For Orabank, it should be noted that the lender recently teamed up with Togolese startup Semoa, to develop a WhatsApp banking solution. 

Oragroup and Axian respectively operate in 12 countries (in West and Central Africa) and 6 countries (in Africa and the Indian Ocean region). 

Ayi Renaud dossavi

In 2020, the United Nations Development Program (PNUD-Togo) spent over $11 million on 30 projects in Togo. 

This was disclosed on December 15, 2020, at the opening of the annual review of projects jointly carried out by the UNDP and Togo. The review, a 3-day meeting, will among others focus on assessing the projects, direct and redirect bi-annual work plans for 2020-2021. 

The meeting was opened by the secretary-general of the ministry of planning and cooperation, Paneto Bèguèdouwe. On the occasion, he lauded the progress made towards the achievement of sustainable development goals and the realization of the national development plan (PND 2018-2022), despite the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Let’s recall that the UNDP, in partnership with the UNCDF, recently launched the pilot phase of the Emergency Fund for Togolese Businesses’ Resilience. This phase will be carried out over six months, for an investment of around $350,000. It aims to curb Covid-19’s negative impacts on micro, small, and medium businesses (MSMEs) that incur major losses. 

Séna Akoda

Foufoumix has launched discounts for Togolese salaried employees interested in buying its fufu-making machine. 

Starting from January 2021, employees of the private and public sectors will have the opportunity to get the device for CFA230,000 instead of CFA250,000. Also, they will be able to pay in installments over 12 months. 

In the framework of the initiative, the company has negotiated with some local banks to enable the target population to buy (its) products with loans, said Jules Minsob LOGOU, founder of Foufoumix. 

LOGOU explains, “if you are a wage earner, all you have to do is go to your bank and ask for a Foufoumix loan. Once your application file is complete, come to us to get your machine.”

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Next Thursday, the 2020 edition of the practical business guide will be released. This will be during a roundtable organized by Focus Yakou and the Togolese Chamber for Trade and Industry (CCIT). 

Prefaced by Togo’s minister of trade, industry, and local consumption, Kodjo Adedze, the updated guide compiles legal, economic, financial, and fiscal data related to the country’s business framework. Its theme is: “Opportunities and challenges brought up by the ongoing structural and strategic transformation in Togo.”

Its publication will be preceded by two panels themed respectively: “Ambitions for Adétikopé’s industrial platform, the Kékéli thermal plant, and Togo’s photovoltaic plant,” and “Covid-19 crisis: opportunities to foster innovation in business, labor rights, and social relationships?”

Among eminent figures of the Togolese politico-economic sphere expected at the roundtable are Adjadi Bakari Shegun - Special Adviser to the President of the Togolese Republic for Energy, Ekué Mivedor - Director-general of Togo Invest, Eric Goulignac - MD of Heidelbergcement Togo, Alain Hountondji - MD ADKontact, and Tiburce Monnou - a lawyer at the Togolese court. 

Jean-Marie Tessi, MD of GTA Assurances and Secretary-General of Togo’s Association of Large Enterprises (AGET), will be the moderator of the two panels announced. 

Séna Akoda

Togo is preparing for its very first regional elections which could take place next year. Talks in this framework are going on between the government - the ministry of territorial administration - and the various national political groups. 

If effectively held, the regional polls would follow local elections held a year ago. This would mark another step forward in the country’s decentralization process. 

Regional advisers elected in the projected polls will compose various regional bodies, notably the regional council and its executive committee. 

As a reminder, Togo’s five major territorial subdivisions have, since 2019, become territorial authorities, just like municipalities, and are now defined as "legal entities under public law with financial autonomy," by the law on decentralization and local liberties.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi