Last Friday, a workshop on Leadership, Citizenship, and opportunities related to the 2018-2022 national development plan (2018-2022 PND) was held. This was in the Amou prefecture (168 km north of Lomé)

The meeting’s theme was “challenges related to the PND and opportunities for youth.” It is part of a battery of workshops organized by the ministry of youth aiming to inform Togo’s youth about key projects and job opportunities relevant to the PND.

The workshops will take place in about 10 prefectures targeting 150 youths per community.

The next prefectures targeted are Vo, Avé, Danyi, Sotouboua, Mô, Dankpen, Binah, Kpendjal and Cinkassé.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo’s minister of posts, digital economy and technological innovations received last Saturday, the Alumni Public Service Award from Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). She thus becomes the first female African political figure to win this award.

“What great honor to receive today the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Public Service Award,” the Togolese official declared. “I hope this prize will inspire a generation of African women and young leaders pushing them to commit to improving others’ lives,” she added.

She was awarded for contributing to the development of ICT and digital industry in Togo, using them for the profit of social causes. For example, she launched Campus WiFi, a project that provides free access to broadband internet in all public universities and health facilities in the country. There is also Eco CCP, a mobile money savings account, the digital work environment (ENT) which benefits high schools, etc.

The Alumni Public Service Award, which is given to former students who “greatly improved human condition at local, provincial, national or international scale,” is the second prize received by Lawson after the first place of Napoléons Awards, under the women category. 

Séna Akoda

South African Diges Group, which designs, makes and manages hydraulic infrastructures will help Togo with its clean water project.

Recently the firm inked with the country’s minister of water, Antoine Lekpa Gbegbeni, a memorandum of understanding in this regard.  

Let’s note that under the third axis of Togo’s 2018-2022 national development plan, authorities want to provide access to drinking water to more than 80% of the population.

The recent signature takes place two months after President Gnassingbé visited South Africa. There, he met local business operators to discuss potential investments in his country, among others.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Lomé-based airlines Asky has launched its mobile app which is available on Android and iOS.

In a recent statement, the carrier said the app can be downloaded on its website or directly on the iOS AppStore and Google Play Store. On the mobile platform, Asky’s customers can purchase flight tickets, make reservations, check tariffs and services, join the company’s “ASKY Club” fidelity program, and even rate services.  

The new platform aims at saving time for Asky’s customers and meeting their growing needs.

Asky currently serves 22 cities in 20 countries, in West and Central Africa.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Lomé municipality just received €14 million, a grant from the French Development Agency (AFD), to improve its waste management. The financing is part of the third stage of the Lomé Urban Environment Project (PEUL III).

Related agreement was inked May 16 by Sani Yaya, Togo’s minister of economy and finance, Marc Vizy, France’s ambassador to Togo, and François Jacquier-Pélissier, president of AFD Togo.

“67% of the grant will be used to improve environmental and social safety at the Agoé Nyivé landfill,” indicates Minister Yaya. “23% will be used to foster governance within the Lomé municipality and remaining 10% will focus on sports and development as well as help manage the project,” the official added.

He noted further that the facility will, beyond helping Lomé better manage its waste, help the capital improve revenues needed to finance public services.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In order to ensure ships’ safety, by preventing overloading, Togo has decided to ratify the protocol of 1988 relating to the international convention on load lines, 1966.

Ratifying the 1988 protocol will in effect introduce a new harmonized visit and certification system, hence raising the reputation of Togo, in regards to international maritime institutions. Doing so will make the country more attractive and contribute to the first axis of Lomé’s national development plan. The latter is to make the nation a logistics hub and first-class business center in West Africa.

Regarding the London convention, its goal is to ease and simplify all procedures related to arrival, stay and departure of ships, in the framework of international trips.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The second edition of the telecommunications forum opened May 17, 2019 in Lomé. The event is organized by Afrique IT and CENTECH and its theme this year is: Reducing the standardization gap.

This theme is directly tied to the recent creation of the international telecommunications union (ITU).

Two panels will take place at the event. The first theme is: “Reducing the standardization gap, reviewing the state of our institutions,” and the second is: “Mobile Money, telephony actors and financial institutions meet civil society, financial institutions, ministries, SMEs, large companies, schools.”

Besides these panels, workshops and exhibitions will be held and they will enable participants better understand current challenges in the telecommunications sector.

Séna Akoda