In Togo, the soybeans sector employed nearly 300,000 people, directly and indirectly, in 2018 according to the Office of Agricultural Statistics, Information and Documentation (DSID).

With about 67,000 ha dedicated to this crop, about 38% of land is used to cultivate leguminous crops in Togo. Soybeans is the third most cultivated leguminous crop in the country and it benefits 193,462 households.

At the moment, the sector produces 3 tons per ha, one of the best yield across the region. Most of the output is exported.

In 2016, Togo produced 31,192 tons of soybeans, generating an income of XOF6.8 billion.

Let’s highlight that the crop is cultivated organically, as demand for organic products remains strong.

Global demand for soybeans, it should also be indicated, was estimated at 240 million tons in 2018.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Over the past few years, Togo has improved significantly in regards to its socioeconomic policies and institutional framework. This was disclosed in the World Bank’s latest Country Policy and Institutional Assessment in Africa report (CPIA).

Togo improves while Africa stagnates

While other countries on the continent stagnate, Togo has again, after reaching the average in sub-Saharan Africa in 2017, improved its score on the CPIA in 2018, by introducing more reforms (Doing Business, Mo Ibrahim Index, MCC). Togo excluded, only eight countries (against nine in 2017) have had their score rise in 2018, whereas 60% of economies maintained the same score.

This is thus the second consecutive year where Togo, with a score of 3.2 points (+0.1), improves its CPIA score.

A feat it owes to the reinforcement of its “public debt management and strategy,” reforms to improve business regulation environment (ease to do business), and those that “improved transparency, reduced paperwork and led to a better cost-efficiency in property transfer,” said the Bretton Woods institution.

A better debt profile, business climate and governance

Togo is the only country in Africa to have upped its score under the public debt management and policy criterion, according to the World Bank which added that “streamlining budget helped improve debt ratios,” pulling down public debt from 75.6% of GDP to 74.1%, while domestic debt fell by more than 5% compared to end-2017. 

Moreover, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, are the only two nations to have improved their score for the business regulation environment criterion. The latter, let’s note, assesses the legal, regulatory and policy environment affecting private businesses, by evaluating rules impacting the launching or ceasing of activity, competition, ongoing commercial operations, land and work contracts.

“Côte d’Ivoire and Togo have implemented six reforms and are among the best ten reformers, according to Doing Business,” said the World Bank.

In regards to governance, only nine countries improved their score in 2018. “The increase in scores of Côte d’Ivoire and Togo reflect the improvement of a governance structure based on rules where property and contract rights are applied and protected.”

For Togo for example, ownership transfer in 2018 required five procedures (against 6.2 in sub-Saharan Africa). A complete transfer process took 84 days (against 183 the year before) in the country, against an average of 53.9 days across the SSA region. The operation cost 5.9% of the good’s value (9.2% in 2017 and 7.6% in SSA).

Regarding contract execution, another Doing Business index, the World Bank reports that on average, for a contract to be executed through the legal system, it took 488 days in Togo (compared to 655.1 days in SSA) and it cost 47.5% of the claim value (42.3% in SSA) in 2018. 

All these positive changes are to be attributed to the Togolese business climate cell, which through various reforms, works to improve Togo’s image in the CPIA report.

Still room for improvement

From 2008 to 2018, Togo’s CPIA score grew by 0.5 points, as a result of improvements in economic management, policies tackling social exclusion and fostering equity, and public institutions management. However, structural policies stagnated over the past decade.  

Also, the country still lags behind some of its WAEMU neighbors such as Senegal, Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger. In Africa and the world, Rwanda has the highest score, knowingly four.

Let’s indicate that since 1980, CPIA scores are used to determine how IDA resources are allocated to the world’s poorest nations. They also help assess African countries’ progress and compare them to other IDA nations.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

From October 22 to 27, 2019, Lomé will host the second edition of the African Building Trade Show (Afribat). The event is the fruit of a partnership between the Sfax chamber of trade and industry (CCIS) of Tunisia, and the chamber of trade and industry of Togo (CCIT).

Announced last March by Germain Mèba, president of the CCIT, this edition should gather about 10,000 participants, actors of the construction industry and its affiliated sectors. The first edition was held in May 2018, in Yaoundé (Cameroon).  

This year, the event will host roundtables on hot topics related to construction, more than 200 B2B meetings, a space dedicated to Jobs and Innovations, latest technologies and new construction materials, all in collaboration with the Tunisian Architect Order (OAT).

Besides Togolese exhibitors, about 15 foreign delegations are expected to attend. They will come from the Maghreb, Tunisia mostly, but also from Sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin and Nigeria), Europe, Asia and America.  

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Last Thursday, Togo’s government launched an operation to mark firearms of its security forces at the headquarters of national police. This falls under the project to improve physical security, stock and marking management, and getting rid of useless weapons.

The move occurs in a context where security is presently jeopardized in the region, by a growing transnational criminality rate, conflicts between communities, and terrorism.

From the police headquarters, the recent operation should be expanded to all the Togolese territory.

Financed by Japan, and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament (UNREC), this project should also ease investigations led by the Judiciary police and other defense bodies.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Nigeria wants to build a power transmission line that connects it to eight other West African nations, including Togo, according to Ecofin Agency.

“We will have a 330kV line going from Northern Nigeria to Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire”, said Mohammed Gur Usman, Executive Director of the Transmission Company of Nigeria.

“Besides this infrastructure, another line with similar capacity will connect Senegal to Ghana, passing through Guinea Bissau, Mali and Burkina Faso,” he added.

Feasibility studies for both projects have already been launched and procedures have been initiated near relevant ECOWAS entities to ensure the smooth realization of related works.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Yesterday, August 22, the eighth edition of the Adjafi Fair for Young Entrepreneurs opened in Lomé. This year’s edition is themed: “Social Security for an Inclusive Growth of Young African Entrepreneurs.”

With about 22 exhibition stands to visit, promoters expect more than 200,000 visitors at the fair which will end on September 8, 2019. The event also hosts forums, round tables, conferences, exchange meetups, workshops, and trade fairs.

Various institutions and mechanisms supporting youths and business inclusion in Togo will participate in the fair, which it should be recalled registered last year 120,000 visitors.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

In Togo, the Miawodo association plans to open a new incubator to foster the development of small companies respecting the environment. This is a project that benefited from a financing of XOF26 million provided by the French embassy.

The age range for interested applicants is 18-30 years and they should live in Lomé or its surroundings. Also, they should operate in the following sectors: renewable energy, agro-food processing, technological and technical innovations, and waste recycling. Overall, 100 projects will be selected.

This project falls under a bigger one, the PISCCA or Scheme for Innovative Projects developed by the Civil Society and the Actors Coalitions. The latter is also financed by the French embassy (XOF254.6 million).

Applications can be submitted until next September 15, by individuals or groups, who already own a business or just have an idea.

Séna Akoda

Vlisco just relaunched in Togo its contest to select young designers aged between 20 to 30 years. This contest aims at “helping these designers in their professional path in the fashion industry, by boosting their skills and enabling them to have their own brand.”

Selected contestants will get €5000 to fund their growth or invest in new equipment and set up their own fashion studio. They will also benefit from professional training workshops.

Before it launched this year’s edition of the contest, Vlisco, let’s recall, gave some young Togolese designers a project management training.

Last year, the winner of the first prize for the contest was Anoumou Djidjolé Placca.

Séna Akoda