Next March 7th, the Polytechnical University of France will organize the X-Afrique 2020 forum dedicated to African entrepreneurship. On this occasion, Togo will be represented by two local startups, MUSA CS and Relika. 

The two firms are part of 10 high potential African startups selected to attend the event which aims at giving them more visibility and helping them attract more investments.

The event’s organizers plan for this edition, the fifth, workshops on artificial intelligence, African banking, energy, and digital technologies, as well as a pitch contest for the selected startups. These will help present African innovations and untapped opportunities the continent has to offer.

Lomé intends to promote at least 4,000 artisanal businesses by 2025. 

According to official sources, this aims at enhancing the contribution of craftsmen to the industrial development of the Togolese economy. 

In the same framework, sources close to the ministry of craftsmanship say artisans will be more involved in public contracts with 15% of procurements related to the sector reserved for local actors. 

To date, about nine (9) billion CFA francs has been spent to valorize the sector and its actors. Nearly 25,000 young artisans benefited from various training programs and 26 resource centers were opened. 

Also, last year, the first international market for craftsmanship was organized. Public authorities are also working to provide health insurance to all registered artisans of the country.

From 3.95% in 2010, Togo’s agricultural growth rate rose to 5.63% in 2018, according to recent reports from the parent ministry. A peak of 14.32% was recorded in 2014, thus corresponding to an average growth of 6% per year over the period reviewed (2010-2018). 

This performance was translated to an agricultural GDP (at current price) of XOF1,357.4 billion in 2019. This is almost twice the figure recorded in 2010, knowingly XOF644.26 billion.

Agriculture, let’s emphasize, contributes 40% of Togo’s GDP and employs 60% of its active population. In regards to employment, sub-sectors that employ the most people are soybeans, sesame, and pineapple. The first two are the most supported by the government (after rice and maize). 

From 2010 to 2018, the government has invested more than XOF15 billion in 10 agricultural sectors.

In the next five years to come, Togo will invest as much in road infrastructures as it did over the past decade - nearly XOF1,000 billion. 

Key projects that will capture the investments include building the Lomé-Cinkassé highway and modernizing the Avépozo-Aneho axis. The preservation of Togolese coasts is also a priority for the government. 

The construction of a multipurpose platform at Adakpamé and a dry port at Cinkassé in the next five years should also help decongest the port of Lomé.  

Moreover, many crossroads are planned to improve access to rural areas and markets. These include the following axes: Lomé-Vogan, Lomé-Kpalimé, Notsé-Agou, Aouda-Kara. 

Lomé plans also to build a bypass around Sokodé, rehabilitate roads in Tsévié, Kpalimé, Atakpamé, Sokodé, Bassar, and Mango, among others.

From 2010 to 2019, the government’s investments in agriculture surged from XOF25.99 billion to XOF50.79 billion. 

This helped boost the wealth created by the sector from XOF644 billion to more than XOF1,350 billion. 

Regarding food security, the coverage rate of food needs stood at 137% (2019), for plant-based foods, and 60% for meat products. Also, the country was able to prevent corn prices from exploding as they did in 2005.  

Due to its performances, Togo’s agriculture was distinguished in 2013 and 2015 by the FAO, thus lauding its exceptional efforts to improve food and nutritional security.

Over the past decade, a total of XOF300 billion has been invested in port infrastructures. This money was used to modernize the infrastructures such as the port of Lomé which is now the first container port in West Africa. Also, a fishing port was built in Gbétsogbé with financing from the Japanese cooperation. This project aimed at boosting the contribution of fishing to the Togolese economy. 

From 2.3 million tons in 2005, the containerized tonnage of the port of Lomé, driven by various modernization efforts, rose to 19 million in 2018. Last year, the port handled container traffic of 1.5 million TEU.

On the other side, XOF75 million was spent to modernize and expand the Gnassingbé Eyadéma international airport (AIGE).  

Subsequently, the number of passengers recorded at the AIGE from 2005 to 2018 went from 220,000 to 809,000. Over the same period, freight tonnage soared from 10,000 t to 135,000 t.

Séna Akoda

Togolese authorities recently received equipment for protection against the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak which emerged in China some weeks ago and spread to other parts of the world. 

The equipment was provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) which considers Togo as a level 2 priority (on a scale of 3) nation regarding risk of exposure to the virus.  

The equipment will help “sub-Saharan African countries prepare, especially at their borders,” says Dr. Tidiane Fatouma Diallo, resident representative of the WHO in Togo. 

To protect itself against the epidemics, Togolese authorities have already set safety measures at airports, in coordination with neighboring States. 

Let’s note that while cases of coronavirus are currently concentrated in Asia, the first case in Africa was recorded last week, in Egypt. 

Last week, the National Agency for Sanitation and Public Hygiene (ANASAP) launched in Lomé a project to clean the beach. 

It is part of the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program (WACA ResIP), backed by the World Bank, which focuses on tackling coastal erosion, flooding and pollution of West African coasts. 

ANASAP’s initiative is estimated to cost about XOF168 million (of which around 115 million is paid by WACA ResIP) and cover a three-year period. In its framework, Lomé’s beach, over a 7km distance from the border with Ghana to Hotel Sarakawa, will be cleaned. 

Funds provided for the project will be spent to buy a cleaning machine, garbage bins, modern toilets, and used to set up a water tower equipped with solar panels. 

Besides cleaning, the project will also focus on raising awareness of populations to keep the beach neat.