The European Union and France injected about XOF12 billion in a project to fight human trafficking in nations of the Gulf of Guinea. Six countries are concerned by the initiative, including Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. 

A workshop was organized yesterday in Lomé to discuss terms of collaboration for its implementation. 

According to Alessandro Rabiossi, the regional director for the project, it aims to “support efforts made by the various entities at the front line in this fight,” in Togo. These include the “ministry of justice and security, the police and the gendarmerie.”  

Let’s recall that earlier this month, justice, security, social affairs experts, and civil society actors from Togo and Benin met in Grand-Popo (Benin) to discuss ways to better fight human trafficking. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

UK’s independent power producer, Globeleq, will soon develop a renewable energy project in Togo. The firm signed early last month a joint development agreement with the Togolese government for the project. 

The project could be a pure hydropower plant, a combined hydropower-solar power plant, or a solar power plant with large capacity battery storage. It should generate between 24MW and 30MW of reliable, fully renewable energy. 

Kara or Dapaong, in the northern region, could host the project, depending on technological choice. Also, the plant will be connected to the Kara-Mango-Dapaong transmission line currently under construction. 

We are delighted to be working with the Togolese government on this innovative project. It will bring new low-carbon power generation to northern Togo and promote development and growth in the region. 

The agreement, let’s note, will be developed on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. It results from the decision of the UK and Togo to enhance their economic relations.

Globeleq is a leading developer, owner and operator of electricity generation in Africa. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Over the past decade, wealth created by Togo’s agricultural sector has doubled. This was reported by the minister of agriculture and fishery, Noel Bataka, at the opening of the 12th national forum for Togolese farmers (FNPT), yesterday. 

Indeed, from XOF640.6 billion in 2010, agricultural GDP soared to XOF13,354.4 billion in 2019. This is nearly 40% of the Togolese economy. 

The agricultural GDP grew by 6% averagely every year, over the period reviewed, with a 14% peak in 2014. A performance, which according to Bataka,“aligns with the target of the agricultural development program in Africa.” The minister added that the result was driven by the sector’s “vitality and farmers’ dynamism.” 

Regarding producer’s income, it has slightly augmented, from XOF217,149  in 2010 (thus $1.19 per day) to XOF336,300 in 2019 ($1.84 per day). The goal is to achieve an average yearly income of XOF444,548 ($2 per day), the minister of agriculture indicates. Everything, he assures, “will be done to make sure that every household has at least XOF500,000 to get out of poverty.” 

In Togo, 73% of rural populations were living in poverty in 2010. However, the figure improved from year to year, falling to around 63% in 2017. 

Enhancing local processing: A true challenge

In relation to food security, Togo recorded, again, a surplus with a rate going from 90% in 2008 to 137% in 2019. 

As for cash crop sectors, they recorded a combined growth of 408.35% over the past decade. Cotton output rose from 27,000 tons to 137,000 tons in 2019, as a result of the restructuring of Nouvelle Société Cotonnière du Togo (NSCT) and the revitalizing of the national federation of cotton farmers’ associations (FNGPC). Last year alone, cotton farmers garnered more than XOF24 billion in net revenues. 

“No other sector has achieved such a performance so far,” Bataka declared. 

In spite of these outstanding performances, Togo has been struggling to improve its trade balance. 

“Improving trade balance, which records an 11% deficit, is one the challenges we must all work to overcome. Economic operators must put more faith in local products, process them more for our own consumption,” Noel Bataka stressed, urging the local private sector to invest more in the Togolese agribusiness industry.

The 12th national farmer forum was launched on January 23, 2020, by the minister of agriculture, Noël Bataka. 

The forum is hosted at the Palais des Congrès. Its main focus is agricultural transformation. 

“No more subsistence farming,” declared Bataka after summing up the country’s performances in agriculture in recent years.  

The minister also urged the president of the chamber of commerce and industry, Germain Meba, to get more engaged in local transformation as this would reduce the trade deficit. 

Addressing farmers, he asked them to be more dynamic while reiterating the government’s commitment to keep supporting them, through existing mechanisms. 

The event received delegations from various nations, including Morocco with the Cherifian Phosphate Office (OCP), Israel, China, Germany with its cooperation agency - GIZ, and South Africa. 

A two-day national dialogue to discuss the preservation of forests and the environment was launched on January 22, 2020, in Lomé. 

The talks focused on the rational use of firewood by populations. 

On this occasion, participants shared their respective knowledge of bioenergy to reduce the excessive exploitation of forest resources.   

“Degradation is partly due to firewood use,” said Aboudoussissamilou Issifou, the national coordinator of the Forest and Farmers’ mechanism. “We must think, together, about new sources of energy which will help reduce forest exploitation due to the use of firewood,” he added. 

The long-term goal is, therefore, to bring together researchers (technology), technical and financial partners, so as to find viable and adapted alternatives to firewood. 

The meeting is an initiative of the FAO and the Togolese ministry of environment and sustainable development. It is backed by the German cooperation agency, GiZ. 

It aligns with other initiatives launched by the government to preserve the environment and forests.

R.E.D

For its second operation on the UMOA securities market this year, Lomé will issue fungible Treasury bills, instead of fungible Treasury bonds like it did for the first operation on the regional market. 

However, the amount sought is the same for both operations - XOF25 billion. The proceeds will mainly serve to meet the government’s budgetary needs for 2020. 

The related tender was released on 22 January 2020 by the UMOA-securities agency. 

According to the entity, the bills have a nominal value of XOF10,000, a maturity of three years, for an interest rate of 6.15% per year. The date of value is February 3, 2020. 

Let’s note that this fundraising will close on February 1. It comes a few days after the country’s first, and very successful, operation on the same market.  

Séna Akoda

Togo’s Urban Development and Infrastructure Project (PIDU) is searching for a consultant to develop its website. 

A call for manifestation of interest was launched to this end and it will close on January 29. 

In detail, the hired consultant will research the project, design the website’s template and produce its content, put it online and manage it.

The PIDU was launched more than a year ago. It aims to improve access to modern infrastructure in many Togolese towns such as Lomé, Tsévié, Atakpamé, Kpalimé, Sokodé, Kara, and Dapaong.  

The International Development Association (IDA), which is part of the World Bank, financed the project with XOF16 billion. 

Séna Akoda

Since 22 Jan 2020, smartphone and landline users could not connect to the Internet (3G or 4G) in Togo. 

“Our mobile and landline internet services are seriously affected,” reveals TogoCom, the former State-owned mobile operator. 

The operator attributes the situation to technical issues with submarine cables in Portugal and Spain. 

“All our technical teams are working to rapidly fix the issue,” reassures TogoCom. 

Séna Akoda