Born from the merging of Togo Telecom’s landline and mobile networks (Togo Telecom and Togo Cellulaire), Togocom Group wants to be the leading provider of internet services in Togo. This comes “after years of poor performances, especially regarding its internet offer, years over which its market shares shrank with the arrival of rude competitors”.

The firm’s authorities plan to achieve their goal by establishing many interconnected network spots, to expand broadband coverage across the nation. They will leverage on all available assets of both landline and mobile networks to this effect.

But first, they must go through some transformation. This includes a logo change, one with the colors of the Togolese flag, to incarnate their vision. “This new logo bears our ambition, which is to become in the coming years a reference in the region. Our first achievements, under our transformation process, attest that we have what it takes to contribute to the vision of the President, His Excellency Faure Essozima Gnassinbé,” said Togocom’s new Managing Director, Affoh Atcha-Dedji (photo).

At the end of December 2016, broadband’s penetration rate, via landline and mobile networks, was at 20%. This, the newly formed group wants to raise, by deploying fiber optic based broadband in Lomé and other towns, across Togo.

In Togo, the Programme for Job Promotion and Youth Insertion in Profitable Sectors (PAEIJ-SP) aims to create favorable conditions for a more inclusive economic growth by boosting youth employment and promoting entrepreneurship in the maize, cassava, soy and small ruminants sectors.

To achieve its objectives, “PAEIJ-SP bases its strategy on agricultural value chains and developing agro-industrial clusters in order to consolidate the country’s industrial base, the programme’s coordinator, Yves Agbo, revealed to Togo First”.

During the 2017-18 season, from August 2017 to February 2018, the programme attracted CFA1 billion of funds, from its main partners and actors.

These, in detail, were allocated to structuring firms (CFA820,342,867), single entrepreneurs and farmers’ groups (CFA118,036,052).

Regarding access to the funding, two desks were established. One managed by a financial operator  where loans  ranging between 20 and 150 million CFA. Here, structuring businesses (SMEs and SMIs) will be eligible for the loans given that they submit a viable business plan showing that the funds will be used to boost one of the value chains covered by the programme.

The other desk will be handled by microfinance institutions. Here, loans  ranging between CFA300,000 and CFA20 million  will be provided, as mentioned earlier, to single entrepreneurs and groups of producers.

Subsistence crop production in Togo rose by 7% during the 2017-2018 season. This was disclosed by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in its March 2018 report on economic integration policies within the WAEMU.

The increase was spurred by favorable weather recorded throughout 2017 in the sub-region. According to the report, the union’s subsistence crop output soared by 6.1% over the period reviewed. BCEAO attributes this progression to a surge in tubers (+6.5%) and grain (+6.2%) outputs.

It should be noted that Togo’s performance exceeds that of Burkina Faso (+6.2%), Benin (+5.7%) and Mali (+4.3%). Highest performances recorded in the region however came from Guinea Bissau (+8%), Senegal (+8%) and Côte d’Ivoire (+7.49%).

In Togo, subsistence crop farming contributes significantly to agricultural output. To ensure food security, the government has since 2011 launched a 5-year investment programme in agriculture. This programme has been extended to the next decade due to satisfying results recorded in its framework, especially in regards to food self-sufficiency.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

A delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will stay in Lomé from March 27 to April 11, 2018, to assess Togo’s actions in the framework of the three-year aid programme, involving an extended credit facility (ECF) approved last May.

The delegation’s objective is to, with local authorities’ support, proceed to the second review of the ECF programme, and also update macroeconomic forecasts for the country.

In effect, the delegation will assess progress made by the Togolese government in regards to reforms it implemented to improve its public finances. It will also evaluate progress made with the national development plan (PND 2018-2022).

Let it be recalled that last October, a first delegation of the IMF was in Lomé and concluded in the framework of its mission that “all criteria of quantitative performance were met and structural reforms are being implemented, gradually”. However, the delegation which was led by Ivohasina Razafimahefa had put an accent on persistent tensions which could affect Togo’s macroeconomic indicators. Since then, the tensions were appeased as an open-dialogue was initiated between the various protagonists.

With this, the current visit could lead to the disbursement of the second tranche of the three-year aid facility (which amounts to $245 million overall). Indeed, a first tranche valued at $34.5 million was disbursed just after the loan had been approved by the Bretton Wood institution.  

Fiacre E. Kakpo

CEET, Togo’s power utility, wants to switch from postpaid to prepay for its payment mode. This is part of various measures taken by the firm to connect more people to the national grid in 2018 (it eyes 100,000 connections).

In line with its new decision, the public company plans to promote the use of prepay meters.

According to officials at CEET, this is to tackle the issue of unpaid electricity bills. With prepay meters, customers will also be able to purchase electricity from other providers, not only CEET.

By opting for prepay, the power utility wants to mitigate all susceptible issues that might arise from the reforms it currently implements.

Hailed  by Ocean News as one of the five leading Togolese women-entrepreneurs, Viviane Assogba Tsogbaley has been heading for three years now Génial Wok, a business that specializes in vegan and vegetarian food, and makes natural fruit cocktails. In this interview, she relates with passion how the adventure had been for her over the past three years.

Togo First : You have been the head of GENIAL WOK for three years. Why did you decide to enter the agribusiness sector?

Viviane Assogba Tsogbaley (V.A.T): I had been passionate about agribusiness since my last year of Junior High. When I came to the university, I would provide my services to my friends, making cakes and other pastries for their parties. However, I thought of starting a business when I started working at SYL CONSULT. There, I was working under the National Agency for Employment (ANPE in French) and was responsible for amending young entrepreneurs’ projects. These young individuals were later funded and became business owners. It was then that I wondered ‘why should I keep writing job application letters?’

It was at that time that I started making juices at home. My initial goal was to open my own restaurant but to have enough customers, I had to begin by making juices. Next, the Organization for Food and Local Development (OADEL) took some samples of my products and liked them. It then ordered hundred bottles which were sold in their BOBAR shop that promotes Togolese products, agro-food products that is. Looking at the positive return our products got from customers, they decided to help us meet standards related to agro-food.

We benefited from their support for a year, from February 2016 to February 2017. We were trained in business management, taught to respect standards in place in the agribusiness sector such as the HACCP. After this, OADEL staff came to take samples of our products, again, and assessed them. Since the tests were satisfying, we officially launched our products.

T.F : So would you say that was the starting point of GENIAL WOK ?

V.A.T : Yes, indeed. We also got support to manufacture stickers where barcodes meeting standards are displayed. We decided to focus on these products and perfect them because they are good for health. There are lots of young people that currently suffer from diabetes, high-blood pressure, etc. At Genial Wok, we give particular attention to health and that is why we started selling vegan food. Regarding our cocktails, we have six flavours (pineapple-grapefruit, pineapple-banana-melon, pineapple-melon-passion fruit, pineapple-sugar beet-orange, tamarind). In fact, in one of our brochures, we described the positive impacts derived from consuming our products daily. Humans need an average of five fruits and some vegetables every day. One of our juices equates about two to three fruits, thus nearly half of the energy value recommended daily.

T F : Besides OADEL, did you get any other entity’s support? If yes, how did these contribute to your development?

V.A.T: Yes, besides OADEL, we were also supported by INNOV’UP, an incubator of startups, headed by women especially, for a year. It helped us better manage our business. Our incubation period ended in November 2017 which is why we officially launched on December 8, at INNOV’UP Centre. This was in the presence of Mrs. Assilevi (head of PNUD), ANPE’s Managing Director, Mrs. Leguédé (FEFA’s President). At the moment, OADEL is still helping us secure a license to export our products.

T.F : In terms of funding, how did you handle things ?

V.A.T : We were trained by the Support Programme for Grassroot Development (PRADEB) to secure funding but it yielded no result. We also submitted an application to FAIEJ, but have obtained no response yet. So far, we operate with our own funds.

T.F : You took a course in communication and marketing. So, how were you able to secure for yourself a spot in the nutrition and agro-food sector?

V.A.T: It’s true, I had the passion and my husband is a nutritionist. This helped me greatly as I had personally taken a course in marketing-communication. He helped us with the dosing before we launched. You would notice that it has been three years since we launched our activities but it is only recently that we started offering all flavours we had in stock. This is because they were being tested and we can firmly attest now that our products are good for health. They contain no added colouring, preservatives, or sugar.

T.F : You said your products were well received by customers so that brings us to ask at what pace you manufacture?

V.A.T: Presently, we produce 2000-2500 bottles per month, and soon, with FAIEJ’s support (hopefully), we could reach 5000 bottles. Some of our seniors who have been operating in the same segment the past six years and more (up to eight for some) actually produce 10,000 bottles. I believe that if we are able to reach 5000 bottles in less than three years, we will last long.

T.F : Do you eye foreign markets ?

V.A.T:  Yes, we do. Last year, we took part in the Forum for Young African Entrepreneurs and Business Owners (FOJECA) which regroups young entrepreneurs from West Africa. We were sent by INNOV-UP to Burkina Faso. Visitors were much interested in our products. Today, we have some partners in Switzerland and are in talks with them to determine how to export to this country. There is also another potential partner interested in importing them to France.

T.F : You were recently nominated among the five women-entrepreneurs making Togo proud by Ocean News ; how do you feel about this ?

V.A.T : When I came across this publication, I thought to myself that I should persevere because it was not easy, especially since we progressed with our funds. I am proud today to be an example for young people desiring to start a business also. However, it demands more than passion, training and support are also necessary.

T.F: What could you say to your young brothers and sisters who also wish to become entrepreneurs?

V.A.T : My advice to my young brothers and sisters is that it is good for one to work for himself. At first, it might not be profitable, but it is important not to focus on money. The most important thing rather is to realize that we are an example for others, it is to know that we can positively impact our society, to know that we create opportunities for others who will follow our steps and that our lives will not be vain.

Interview by Tajudeen Waliyullah

A study conducted by the Groupe de Réflexion et d’Action, Femme Démocratie et Développement (GF2D) on unusual practices impairing the protocol on free movement of people and goods across the Togo-Benin, Togo-Ghana and Togo-Burkina Faso borders, showed that 68.4% of population surveyed, in the framework of the study, negatively perceive and has some doubt about the effectiveness of this protocol.

These individuals denounce abuses such as racketing, illegal money collection, physical violence, seizure of goods, etc.

Thus, 40 years after it was adopted, the protocol on free movement of goods and people within the economic region seems to be facing some challenges.

Results from the same study reveal that only 45.5% of surveyed populations know about the protocol. 61.5% of those used to cross the Cinkassé border, 51.1% of those using the Kodjoviakopé (Togo-Ghana) border and 51% of those using the Sanvee Condji border do not know it also.

To reduce the various abuses and offences impairing the free movement of goods and people within ECOWAS, GF2D intends to accelerate the adoption of a national biometric card. This through its project to “promote community citizenship by relying on a sensitization campaign focused on the biometric national ID card and combat against various abuses at Togo’s border stations”.

French firm Linagora, which specializes in open-source software, and Comtel Technologies, a major actor of the tech industry in Benin, Niger and Togo, were just selected to develop a cloud-based professional messaging service for the whole Togolese public administration.

This was disclosed after the recent council of ministers held last Wednesday.

During the pilot stage of this project which was initiated by the ministry of posts and digital economy, 20,000 messaging accounts were created for ministers, advisors, private secretaries and diplomats. The project aligns with the government’s objective to modernize its public administration.

Looking at the success recorded during the pilot stage, ministry of digital industry wants to expand it to the whole public administration. To this end, “Linagora was selected, through a call to tenders, to install and commission the professional messaging solution, just like Comtel Technologies which will provide required equipment for servers and virtualization tools”, the minutes of the ministers’ council indicates.

With their level of experience, these two companies will handle technical aspects related to the project, mainly in regards to operations and security.

The new messaging solution will provide Togolese administration “G Suite” tools. With it, the government wants to give each of its servants required means to provide quality services to the Togolese people.

Fiacre E. Kakpo