Islamic Development Bank finances phase II of the Lomé-Cotonou road rehabilitation project.

In the project’s framework, Togo’s government seeks a consultant to monitor and supervise works for the two-by-two section of the 10km-long Avépozo-Togokomé road.

Consulting firm hired will also be in charge of protecting the coast from erosion by building 28 groynes, re-filling their fields, as well as carrying out related works (building infrastructures for riparian populations). 

The firm will start works in March 2019. Related contract is for three years, after which the road section should be rehabilitated, according to relevant sources.

Séna Akoda

Togo’s forest development and exploitation office (ODEF) opens today for a 3-day public event.

Organized in partnership with Ecobank, the event’s theme is “ODEF working for sustainable management of forests in Togo, with local communities”.

This will allow people to know more about actions taken by the department which is part of the ministry of environment and forest resources, to achieve a sustainable management of Togolese forests.

During the event, visitors will be able to see furniture exposed by ODEF.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo’s national food security agency (ANSAT) has released a new product: organic maize flour with no iron debris.

The product comes in bags of 1 kg and 5kg. These cost respectively 260 and 1300 francs. It can be preserved a whole year with no issue.

With the new product, ANSAT wishes to boost consumption of local products, such as maize which is the most used cereal in Togo.

In comparison to the traditional 2.5 kg bowl of maize flour sold in the country, the new product (same volume) could save up to 100Cfa to consumers. Since it was introduced, a promotional campaign has been going on in Lomé, a campaign that should soon extend to the other towns of the nation.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

For the 2018-2019 agricultural season, the State granted farmers fertilizer subsidies, cutting cost of three bags to CFA27000, from CFA39000 during the past season. The subsidy is to benefit only the most vulnerable farmers.

At the end of the past week, the Agricultural Input Supply and Management Centre (CAGIA) informed farmers in the Plateaux region about the process that they need to go through to benefit from the subsidized fertilizers. On this occasion, CAGIA also presented the farmers the Agri-PME solution.

It is a solution that aims to guarantee transparency throughout the distribution of subsidized fertilizers and financial subsidies directly paid to targeted farmers. The solution has existed since 2016 and requires that a farmer willing to benefit from it lists him/herself as a vulnerable producer. This can be done via mobile.

According to testimonies collected so far, CAGIA’s initiative is highly successful. Indeed, farmers who have already registered have obtained their three fertilizer bags.

Agriculture let’s emphasize, contributes nearly 40% of Togo’s GDP and employs 70% of its active population.

Séna Akoda

Ensuring road safety through the respect of the Highway Code. That is the major adventure on which the Togolese ministry of transports and infrastructures recently embarked on.

Mid-May, an interministerial decree to reduce costs of motorbike (two and three tires) driving licences was adopted to ensure that motorcyclists conform to traffic regulations.  

From CFA10000, the cost of an A1 license (2 and 3 tires bike) was halved to CFA5000.

Let it be noted that in Togo, 73% of registered vehicles are bikes. However, only 2% of motorcyclists have a license. Not a surprise then seeing that they are involved in most road accidents (76% of accident cases in 2017).

To reverse this trend, a training session was launched for motorcyclists last Tuesday in Lomé, and actually about 30 drivers are attending the session.

Under the training, they are taught about the importance of a driving license, knowledge of Highway Code, and most importantly moral and civic behavior to adopt while on the road.  

The initiative is led by the ministry of transport and it aligns with the SDG 3 which aims to decrease by 50% deaths and injuries caused by road accidents, by 2020. 

Fiacre E. Kakpo

To raise funds for its 2018 budget, the Togolese State proceeded to another issuance of fungible treasury bonds, totaling CFA20 billion, on the UMOA-Titres regional market.

The new issuance occurs after the postponement of another, targeting the same amount and initially planned for May 18, 2018.

Truly, nominal value for the newly issued securities is the same as that of previously issued ones, CFA10,000. They are to mature over 36 months.

According the UMOA-Titres agency, the bonds will be repayable starting from the first day following date of maturity, which is June 21, 2021. The associated interest rate which is unique is 6.25%.

Results for the recent issuance will be released June 8, 2018.

Since the end of Q1 2018, Togo has recorded successful issuances on the regional market, often exceeding its targets. This means the country was able to regain investors’ trust, after a political crisis that impaired this relation.

Séna Akoda

The West African Development Bank (BOAD), based in Lomé, plans to raise CFA50 billion each year for projects aiming to mitigate global warming, such as clean energy projects.

“We have engaged various processes aiming to expand our portfolio of climate projects that are likely to be submitted to financial mechanisms of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We wish to raise CFA50 billion every year, by 2021,” said BOAD’s President, Christian Adovèlandè.

With its “Investment grade” profile, the institution meets requirements needed to achieve this goal, Adovèlandè said.

Continuing, he declared: “First results were obtained in 2017, when we mobilized CFA1.3 billion from the World Environment Fund (WEF) for clean energy in Togo; CFA4.9 billion from the Adaptation Fund (AF) for climate-smart agriculture in Guinea Bissau.”

BOAD started looking into environmental issues since 2003. Last March, the institution announced it had invested more than CFA5,000 billion for the West African integration area.

Fiacre E. Kakpo