Togo First
Togo: PNUD to launch two innovation contests on Dec. 20
On December 20, the PNUD’s office in Togo will launch two innovation contests in Lomé.
They should both promote youth ingeniosity, in terms of “building innovative construction solutions pairing waste recycling and local material use.”
They will also be tasked with developing solutions that will improve deed delivery at local civil status centers.
The contests are sponsored by the ministry of urbanism and that of decentralization.
Regarding the innovative solutions for sustainable construction, the contest will be organized in partnership with Lomé’s Construction Center and Ecole Nationale supérieure d’ingénieurs.
Togo: AfDB injects XOF7.9 billion in the CIZO's social component
The Togolese government and the AfDB initialed on Tuesday, December 17, 2019, an agreement worth about CFAF 7.9 billion as part of the Social Component Support Project of the CIZO Rural Electrification Programme of Togo (PRAVOST).
Related documents were signed by Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Managing director of AfDB for West Africa, and Sani Yaya, the Minister of Economy and Finance. Marc Ably-Bidamon, the Minister of Energy, was also present, with members of a European Union delegation.
According to Yaya, the funds will help provide solar power to 500 rural communities, subsequently making them more resilient.
The minister of finance added that in addition to about 2,000 households getting solar mini-grids under the project, the PRAVOST plans to "provide power to 314 health centers and equip 122 health centers with solar-powered water heaters, set up 400 drinking water supply lines and deploy 600 solar-powered irrigation pumps."
Let it be recalled that the European Union has also invested XOF6.6 billion into the PRAVOST, through the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund.
Human Development Index : Life expectancy of Togolese people augmented by three years since 2010
From 1990 to 2018, Togo’s human development index (HDI) soared by 26.6%, from 0.405 to 0.513. This is disclosed in the recent Human development report released by the UN Development Program (PNUD).
Over the same period, Togolese people had their life expectancy rise by 4.9 years. In 2010-2017 alone, their life expectancy rose by three years. Meanwhile, GDP per capita improved by 22.4%.
In spite of the improvements, the country still has room for progress. Indeed, compared to the previous edition of the PNUD report, Togo’s rank fell two places. It is this year the 167th over 189 countries.
The country is listed under the category of nations with a “low” HDI, alongside others such as Seychelles, Rwanda, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia. However, Togo’s HDI is higher than the average in this category (which is 0.507).
R.E.D
Government adopts new supplementary budget after privatization of TogoCom
Last Friday, the government adopted a second supplementary budget act. This was during a ministers’ council held the same day.
The new budget act integrates the privatization of TogoCom (which results from the merger of Togocel and Togo Telecom) after the State sold its 51% stake in the group to Agou Holding.
While the transaction made the State a minority shareholder (49%) in TogoCom, it filled its treasury with XOF48 billion.
Overall, the State’s new budget is expanded to 1,430.1 billion CFA francs, against 1,381.9 billion in the previous draft.
“This second supplementary budget was adopted amid concerns for transparency and budget sincerity,” a statement from the council of ministers reveals.
Let’s note the new act still has to be approved by the parliament, before being effectively implemented.
Séna Akoda
Nigeria threatens to stop supplying power to Togo, Benin, and Niger, for non-payment of debts
As its neighbors already suffer from the closure of its borders with Benin and Niger, Nigeria threatens to stop supplying power to Togo, Benin, and Niger if they fail to pay outstanding debts of $16 million they owe the giant.
Initially, Togo and Benin owed Nigeria more than $100 million but paid most of it and “it remains only $14 million,” according to Usman Mohammed, Managing Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), who issued the threat. “Niger owes less than $2 million and we are not leaving them,” Mohammed said.
“We will disconnect them as we disconnect people around here. Electricity is not charity,” he declared.
Usman Mohammed is also president of the West African Power Pool (WAPP). The latter is an institution of the ECOWAS whose purpose is to integrate national power networks into a unique regional power market.
The most important power transmission line of this market, which regroups 14 countries, should be operational by 2020. It will facilitate the transport of electricity from producing countries to nations with low access to power.
While next year will be a decisive year for the implementation of this market, a major challenge to the project is irregular payments by various commercial partners in the region. Back in 2016, outstanding debts were so high that the WAPP put in place a workgroup tasked with collecting the debts.
Nigeria’s repeated threats for the non-payment of outstanding debts by its neighbors perfectly illustrates the situation. In July 2018, after many warnings from Abuja, Togo started taking measures to clear its debts.
It should be recalled that the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) provides 300 MW of electricity to Togo, Benin, and Niger.
The ministry of culture works on software to better assess how royalties are redistributed to Togolese artists
Measures are being taken to "develop a reliable, scientific and mathematical mechanism for the redistribution of royalties to artists registered at the Togolese Copyright Office (BUTODRA)." This was declared by Kossivi Egbetonyo, the minister of culture.
This will be done with support from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The project is part of various measures aimed at making the Togolese culture sector more dynamic. Amongst these, is the recent decision by the Culture Support Fund (FAC) to no more finance individual projects starting next year.
In Togo, police forces will start conducting random alcohol testing on roads from Monday
Starting next Monday, alcohol testing on Togolese roads will be effective.
The news came from the ministry of security and civilian protection, yesterday - as it was presenting a safety review covering H2 2019.
The tests, which will be random, will be carried out by police forces. By launching this initiative now, authorities want to limit accidents involving drunk drivers, which are quite frequent at this time of the year.
"We are not forbidding drinking alcohol, but drivers should not exceed the set threshold," said Yark Damehone, minister of safety and civilian protection. And the threshold is 0.5g.
Togo gets a new minister of primary and secondary education
Atcha Dedji Affoh is Togo's new minister of primary and secondary education. The presidential decree appointing the official was issued yesterday, 12 Dec. 2019.
Affoh was recently the head of Togocom until the telecom firm was taken over by the Agou Holding Consortium. He was replaced at this position by Franco-Malagasy Paulin Alazard.
With the new appointment, the current government has 24 ministers.
It is important to note that the ministry of primary and secondary education has a budget of nearly XOF123 billion for 2020. This is around 10% more than it had this year.
R.E.D
ECOWAS : Togo is so far the only Ecowas member to meet the convergence criteria required for the adoption of a single currency
Togo is to date the only member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to meet the main criteria set for the creation of a single currency for the community.
This was reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), which cited Zainab Ahmed, Nigeria's minister of finance. The official made the statement last week at a meeting regrouping Ecowas' ministers of finance and heads of central banks - to discuss about the single currency.
The Nigerian minister added that adopting a single currency next year, as scheduled, will be very difficult given the actual context.
On December 21, the presidents of Ecowas countries should meet in Abuja, to assess recommendations of the ministers of finance regarding the single currency project.
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Togo: First stone of Francophone agency for artificial intelligence to be laid in Aneho next week
Togo will host the first regional symposium on artificial intelligence (AI) next Dec 16 and 17, in Aneho.
On this occasion, the first stone of the francophone agency for artificial intelligence (AFRIA) will be laid in the same town, a representative of the International Organization of French-speaking States (OIF), Eric Adja declared last Wednesday.
"With this agency, Togo will become a platform for services, promotion of youth entrepreneurship, and cyberpolice training," Adja said. He should head the AFRIA once launched.
According to the OIF, besides cyberpolice training, the agency will share and monitor information on challenges related to AI.