In 2017, Togo’s goods exports amounted to $982 million, a recent commodity and base products report by UNCTAD revealed.

This amount is lower than the average recorded by the country over the 2013-2017 period, knowingly $1,175 million.

In details, the share of base products in goods exports two years ago was 72%, corresponding to $706 million. Average from 2013 to 2017 is 69%.

The UNCTAD further indicates that agricultural output represented 23% of Togolese exports over the year under review. Gross fertilizer exports represented about 4% of total exports.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Five weeks. That is how much time tech entrepreneurs from Togo and other African countries have left to apply for the 2019 Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative, launched last March by the Jack Ma foundation.

Deadline of application is June 30 and the event will reward the continent’s ten best tech entrepreneurs of the year. Winners will share a $1 million grant funding equally.

Launched in 2018, the initiative has a budget of $10 million to be distributed over a 10-year period. Through the contest, Ma aims to support African tech entrepreneurs in their efforts to build a more sustainable and inclusive Africa for the future.

“What I can do, personally, through the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative, is to commit to give out $10 million over 10 years to help young entrepreneurs,” says Jack Ma, founder of giant tech company Alibaba.

Interested entrepreneurs must be from any of the 54 African countries and having founded a registered business in the African country in which they operate. Also, they must have been operational for at least three years and show earnings for these years. Their products or services must also be adapted to the continent’s needs.

Applications can be filled on the Netpreneur Africa website.   

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Under its expansion strategy, the International Conference of African States on Insurance and Reinsurance Supervision (CICA-RE) plans on raising its capital from XOF30 billion to XOF50 billion by 2020.

To this end, the institution will seek out big investors. It should be noted that its actual stakeholders include member States, insurance and reinsurance firms, as well as financial institutions.  

“The objective is to reach out to other institutions to strengthen the company’s shareholding,” reliable sources indicate. The same sources revealed that a legal session in favor of CICA-RE will be instituted.

Starting from 2020, insurance firms will cede to the institution 5% of businesses that will subscribe to their services, with the exception of some like health. Moreover, in cases of accidents, CICA-RE will bear 5% of related care. This should help retain more premiums on the market.   

Séna Akoda

Between the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns, Togo’s cotton output soared by 17%. The information was disclosed as the new cotton campaign was launched in Kara, Northern region.

From, 117,000 tons in 2017/18, volumes of cotton produced by the country exceeded 137,000 tons during the past season. While significant, the increase remains lower than expected.

The country had indeed forecasted its “white gold” output to reach 140,000 tons for 180,000 ha of cultivated areas. Regardless, the country nears its 2022 goal, knowingly 200,000 tons.

Togo’s ministry of water recently provided a contract valued at XOF194 million to ECM Sarl, a solar power specialized firm, and Vergnet Hydro, French firm that provides safe water supply systems and pumping equipment to rural areas especially.

Under the contract, solar-powered drinking water supply systems are to be installed in Nadiégou, Polougou, Kankangbane and Djalière, villages located in the Savanes region.

“Boreholes are very deep so pumps will be installed at a depth of 165m-220m,” said Joël Ménager, Head of Proposals at Vergnet Hydro, explaining the need for partnership with ECM Sarl. “Providing safe water to the people of these villages by harnessing solar power will enable our two companies show their technical know-how,” added Thierry Barbotte, Managing Director, Vergnet Hydro.

The contract falls under a project to improve sanitary conditions in rural areas and schools across the Savanes region (PASSCO). The latter is steered and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD).

All water systems should be installed in September 2019.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Three slaughterhouses will be built in Kara, Sokodé and Kpalimé, respectively. This aims, according to the ministry of agriculture and husbandry, at boosting meat production and quality, in line with the Agriculture Sector Support Project (PASA).

Building the facilities will cost more than XOF400 million and each of them will include: an operation building, an administrative building, a sanitary facility and a processing facility (burning and skinning).  

The project aligns with the second axis of the national development plan and was officially launched in Djamdè (Kara region), on May 23, 2019, by Noël Koutéra Bataka, minister of husbandry.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Five information desks have been opened across the country under the national project for the promotion of rural entrepreneurship (PNPER).

These facilities will receive, inform and direct the project’s potential beneficiaries. According to sources close to the project, they are already operational. 

Laurent Stravato, Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Togo, recently visited the desk established in the Maritime (Tsévié) region to check if it is operational. This was in line with IFAD’s mission to monitor the implementation of the 2019 annual work plan budget. The visit, started May 21, should end on May 25.

IFAD, since the launch of a rescue plan for the PNPER rescue operation, has been meeting with the State secretariat in charge of inclusive finance, which took over the project from the ministry of agriculture.

Séna Akoda