Last week, the Centre des Maladies Infectieuses (CMI) of Kara, Togo, received €400,000 worth of medical equipment from Germany. The equipment includes resuscitation, sterilization, body conservation equipment, IT and office equipment, medical furniture, and small items of equipment and instrumentation.

Germany shipped the equipment to Togo as part of a program to strengthen the African nation’s health system, especially relative to reproductive health and sexual rights. The program is implemented by GIZ-Togo.

The Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, presided over the reception ceremony, held at the Institut National de l'Hygiène (INH) in Kara, in the presence of diplomatic personalities.

The Agence Togolaise de Presse (ATOP) reported that the equipment will support prevention efforts through vaccination and the fight against malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. The head of the ambassadorial delegation, Dr. Claudius Fischbach from Germany, stressed the importance of health as a pillar of sustainable development.

Fischbach reiterated Europe's commitment to supporting Togo in its immediate response and long-term strengthening of the health system, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Togo has nine other CMIs, serving as rapid care centers for epidemic diseases and standard centers in normal times.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Second Edition of the Blitta International Tradefair (FIB) will take place from August 10 to 24. Aimed at promoting local products, boosting trade, and bolstering regional cooperation, the fair is organized by the Afrik-Contact Company. 

The event was launched at a press conference on June 8, 2024, at Blitta-gare. Several administrative authorities, politicians, traditionalists, and economic operators attended the launching ceremony.

This year's theme is "Valuing local products to promote local consumption". As usual, the event encourages innovation and creativity.

The fair will host exhibitions of agricultural products, business forums, fairs facilitating access to financial and non-financial services, and presentations of finished products based on local resources.

There will also be cultural activities such as concerts, culinary art competitions, and folk dances.

This year, organizers hope to attract between 60,000 and 70,000 visitors. Last year, 52 exhibitors from all regions of Togo, as well as from Ghana, Benin, and Nigeria, participated in the fair. 

Togo's National Spatial Planning Scheme (SNAT) is nearing completion, just over a year after the process began. A series of workshops to validate the deliverables kicked off on June 10 in Lomé, bringing together stakeholders from various sectors to finalize the tool.

For five days, experts will work with stakeholders to gather final recommendations and opinions, before reaching the final draft. The aim is to create a reference framework that prefigures the Togo of tomorrow, advocating inclusion and coherence in sectoral policies and strategies.

"The SNAT’s elaboration stems from our vision, our ambition, and our will to leave nothing and nobody behind, taking a methodological approach," said Béguédouwé Paneto, representing the Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, Sandra Johnson, at the opening of the workshops.

Once adopted, the national land-use planning scheme will serve as a referential decision-making tool for the Togolese executive, aiming to improve the coherence and synergy of sectoral policies and strategies for harmonious, balanced, and sustainable management of the national space.

"We have set ourselves an ambition for the next 20 years, and our work will aim to define an expected image of the Togolese territory by 2045," explained Yendoubé Demakou, Director of Spatial Orientation of the Territory.

Octave A. Bruce 

Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, the CEO and founder of AFIG Funds, has taken over as Chairman of the Board of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), succeeding Cameroonian Alain Nkontchou.

Ndiaye's experience extends far beyond his work at AFIG Funds. He was Investment Director at Emerging Markets Partnership (EMP) in Washington, where he played a key role in raising USD 407 million for the AIG African Infrastructure Fund in 2000, the largest pan-African fund at the time.

Before joining EMP, Ndiaye worked for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), managing equity and debt investments for African financial institutions between 1996 and 2000. He also worked at Salomon Brothers and later with JP Morgan's Emerging Markets Group, laying the foundations for his expertise in securities trading in Africa and the Middle East.

Ndiaye's academic background is equally impressive, with an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, an MA in International Business from the Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA in Economics from Harvard College.

In addition to his business responsibilities, Ndiaye is also on the board of several entities, including the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA).

As the new Chairman of the Board, Ndiaye will have to work on returning dividends and tackling the problems encountered by the group's Nigerian subsidiary, which is going through a difficult period.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

The Togolese Ministry of Commerce is planning to train 25 entrepreneurs in e-commerce through a series of practical training courses across the country.

The aim is to "select an incubator of qualified and competent entrepreneurs to provide them with in-depth training," and to "significantly strengthen the knowledge and skills of entrepreneurs, with particular emphasis on e-commerce best practices," the ministry stated.

The ministerial department recently launched a call for expressions of interest, open to individual entrepreneurs and companies. Selected entrepreneurs will be trained in legal, technical, managerial, communications, and marketing skills.

This initiative is part of the e-business capacity-building program for Togolese SMEs, supported by the Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) program. The deadline for applications is June 25, 2024.

The training program is designed to equip Togolese entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in the rapidly growing e-commerce sector. By providing practical, hands-on training, the ministry hopes to create a pool of qualified and competent entrepreneurs who can drive the growth of e-commerce in Togo.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo's Minister of Urban Planning, Kodjo Adédzé, met with a World Bank delegation in Lomé earlier this week to discuss the progress of the Urban Infrastructure and Development Project (PIDU).

The meeting highlighted the construction of drinking water infrastructure in Naki-est and Dapaong (in northern Togo), the rehabilitation of the Kpèlèou bridge, and roadworks in Kara. Both parties noted positive results in terms of infrastructure and job creation, with nearly 142,000 people employed during the project's implementation phase.

Adédzé and his team announced measures to initiate studies for the supply of drinking water to Naki-est from the Dalwak dam in Dapaong. The Ministry also highlighted the ongoing development of the Schéma directeur d'aménagement et d'urbanisme in six communes (Zio 1, Kloto 1, Ogou 1, Tchaoudjo 1, Tône 1 and Kozah 1).

The aim of the PIDU, financed by the World Bank, is to improve access to urban infrastructure and basic services in Togolese towns and cities. The project has made significant progress, with the construction of critical infrastructure and the creation of thousands of jobs.

Esaïe Edoh

Ecobank seeks to raise $600 million to bolster its financing structure. This year, the Bank’s shareholders will not receive dividends, after the lender resumed their distribution last year. Ecobank’s revenues recently exceeded $2 billion.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) prepares to raise up to $600 million via Eurobonds. Alain Nkontchou, Chairman of the bank's Board of Directors, announced the plan on June 6, 2024, in Lomé. The move, according to the executive, is necessary to reinforce the lender’s financing structure. 

This is the second consecutive year shareholders have been asked to vote on a new capital raising. Last year, they were asked to approve raising $500 million.

"On April 18, 2024, we repaid the $500 million Eurobond issued in April 2019 with short-term bridge financing. Today, we are seeking shareholder approval to replace this financing with a longer-term facility through a new Eurobond issue," Nkontchou said.