Various experts of health economy and finance, from 11 African countries, including Togo, are currently holding a meeting in Lomé. The meeting which began on Sept. 23 will last five days and focuses on the quality control of health finances and means to finance this sector across the continent.

The theme of the event which is organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) is "Health accounts quality control: Producing reliable data to build a performant health system."

Experts regrouped will in effect assess errors and inconsistencies in data made available in health accounts. They will be reviewing actions, at the country level, for better management of resources allocated to the sector and improved performances. 

The decision to hold this meeting, says Dr. Fatoumata Binta Diallo, WHO's representative in Togo and chairperson for the event, comes after many errors were found while processing health-related data. These, according to the representative, prevents appropriate decision-taking in the sector.

Experts present will thus be equipped with adequate tools to produce reliable data which can be used in the decision-making process as well as to better serve patients. "Each and everyone, regardless of their social standing, should have access to health services of quality, yet affordable," said Dr. Binta Diallo. 

The eleven countries represented at the meeting are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo.  

Over the past year, Orabank Togo's balance sheet total grew by nearly XOF100 billion to XOF632 billion with a net profit of XOF9 billion (up a billion compared to 2017). 

Reflecting the lender's growing profitability, the cost-income ratio fell from 60% to 58% in 2018. This improvement, which is paired with that of the net cost of risk, results from a 12% increase of the net banking product (to XOF31.5 billion) and better control of expenditures. 

Orabank currently detains 24% of the deposit market. Last year, it collected more than XOF395 billion, thus 80 billion more than the year before. Regarding lending to the economy, it remains the leader with 27% of a market where 10 other banks, including Ecobank, Orabank's main rival, operate. In effect, Orabank Togo lent 328 billion to the economy in 2018 (+43 billion). 

Commenting on the figures, Guy Martial Awona, MD of Orabank-Togo, told Economies Africaines: "These objectives were reached because Orabank Togo preserved its leading position, its solvability, and profitability despite financial difficulties spurred by the introduction of the new Bâle 2-Bâme 3 laws, and great competition." 

This year, "focus will be put on improving customer service quality with the KEAZ digital platform," the executive added. He also revealed that the lender would open six new branches by 2020, under its expansion strategy.

The African Intellectual Property Organization (OAPI), in partnership with the Togolese government, launched last yesterday the "Project for Reinforcement and Promotion of the Plant Variety Protection System at OAPI and its member States (PPOV)."

This "system gives African actors of agricultural sectors exclusive rights over any plant variety they discover or create," sources indicate. 

Alongside the launch, experts of OAPI and its member States learned how the new system functions and should, as a result, better develop efficient mechanisms to valorize plant varieties, both in the private and public sectors.  

Major topics covered at the training session include: Why and how to protect new plant varieties? What valorization strategies should be put in place? What types of financings can agricultural actors get? Which type of partnership can be implemented? 

OAPI's initiative is financially-backed by the European Union Commission and is supported by the African, Carribean and Pacific Group of States. 

 Séna Akoda

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Microfinance Program has launched in Togo a call for innovative projects, under its Innovative Programme on Youth and Climate Change.

The call which closes next October 18, will see eligible civil society organizations get up to $50,000 of funding for their projects.  

Steered by the UN Development Program (PNUD), the initiative aims to empower the youth on climate change issues. This will be done through sensitization, training, financing of concrete and innovative projects, as well as capitalization and diffusion of good practices.

Top priority projects selected through the call for projects must focus on: providing innovative on-field solutions to climate change issues, access to non-polluting energy sources, boosting youth’s capacities and engagement in climate action. 

Since 2009 to date, the GEF has spent about $2.6 million on projects in Togo.

Séna Akoda

At the end of last week, the national commission fighting the proliferation of small caliber and light firearms (CNLPAL) destroyed small-caliber weapons and ammunition (obsolete and ceased). This was done in collaboration with the United Nations Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC).

A total of 2,300 arms and more than 10,000 bullets were destroyed. 

The initiative took place on the international day of peace, in the presence of Damehane Yark, minister of security, and Damian Mama, coordinator of the UN system in Togo. It is according to CNLPAL’s chairman, Têko Koudouovoh, “a strong signal” sent to criminal groups, “both inside and outside the country.”  

A few weeks ago, it should be recalled, authorities undertook a weapon marking operation.

Twelve local organizations of forest and farm producers will benefit from a financial agreement recently signed by the FAO and five development partners.

Under the agreement, benefiting entities in the country’s central, maritime and plateaux regions will improve their capacities using funding of more than XOF88 million provided by the FAO and the partners.

The initiative falls under the FAO’s Forest and Farm Facility – FFF whose second phase was launched last April in Togo.

“Agreements signed between FAO and these various organizations will help reinforce capacities of grassroots producers preparing to contribute to the restoration of landscapes and lands, in line with the AFR 100 initiative,” declared Issifou Aboudoumisamilou, Facilitator of FFF in Togo.

The FFF is financially supported by Germany, FAO-EU, Finland, Ikea, and Sweden. Its second phase is implemented by GIZ.

In its framework, Togo committed to restoring 1.4 million hectares by 2030.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The West African Development Bank, the financial arm of the West African States Economic and Monetary Union, has for some years now been fighting global warming through various initiatives.

For example, earlier this year, it organized in Accra the African Climate Week. In 2018, the regional institution also launched a contest to select an innovative project in the renewable energy sector, on the sidelines of its 45th anniversary.

More recently, the bank’s headquarters in Lomé started a transition to achieve carbon neutrality or net zero-emission. A major energetic plan is underway at the BOAD. In this framework “energy-saving bulbs have already been installed, and solar panels followed,” said Serge Bouah, Chief of communication, marketing, public relations at BOAD.

Net-zero emission implies that all man-made greenhouse gas emissions must be removed from the atmosphere through reduction measures, thus reducing the earth’s net climate balance, after removal via natural and artificial sink to zero.

Séna Akoda

From October 14 to 16, the 2019 Africa Code Week will be taking place in Togo. The event was launched last Friday at the ministry of posts, digital economy and technological innovations.

Before that, on September 13 and 14, a training workshop for the concerned trainers was organized.

Launched in 2015 by the German firm SAP (which stands for Systems, Applications, and Products for data processing), the Africa Code Week aims at teaching coding to more than 1.5 million youth in 37 African countries, including Togo, every year.

In Togo, at its first edition, more than 3,000 children were introduced to programming.

Séna Akoda