Togo First
Togo: Over 6.6 million treated mosquito nets distributed in 2023
More than 6.6 million mosquito nets (6,637,435) were distributed last year across Togo. The Ministry of Health disclosed the figure in its 2024 citizen budget.
The figure disclosed exceeded the forecast for the year reviewed–6.5 million nets. It is also higher than the number of nets distributed in 2020, amidst the Covid-19 crisis–5,421,189 nets.
Last year, the Grand Lomé area received most of the nets distributed, 1.84 million. In the rest of the Maritime region where the Grand Lomé is located 1.13 million were shared.
In the other regions, the Plateaux, Central, Kara, and Savanes regions, respectively 1.34 million, 638,000, 801,000, and 885,753 nets were distributed.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Fishery: Togo seeks CFA20 billion to develop the sector
Togo wants to boost raise its fishing output by 25% by 2028. The country just launched a new action plan to this end. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the strategy specifically aims to improve the sector's production, processing, and sales conditions. Lomé seeks CFA20.04 billion to execute the strategy.
A five-axis plan
The new strategy branches into five axes. The first axis involves launching training programs for the sector’s actors. The second focuses on supporting research and the sector’s interprofessional council (CIFP).
Next, the plan will focus on the valorization of fishing products. The following axis will focus on boosting governance in the sector through various measures. Then the fifth and last will bolster concerned stakeholders’ institutional and organizational capacities.
The plan’s targets include improving output, improving stakeholders’ technical and structural capacities, creating a business-conducive environment, and improving the sector’s governance and economic viability.
A call to partners
Togo’s technical and financial partners should finance most of the strategy. According to forecasts, they should provide CFA18.69 billion out of the needed CFA20.04 billion. The government should provide CFA1.27 billion and the CIFP the remaining CFA67.56 million.
It is worth noting that the national output does not meet the country’s needs at the moment. In 2022, these needs stood at 105,235 tons, against 86,905 tons in 2012. Meanwhile, the national output stood at 24,229 tons in 2023.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
World Happiness Index: Togo ranks 27th in Africa, and 124th worldwide over 143 countries
The United Nations (UN) recently released its latest report on World Happiness. Togo scored 4.21 over 10, ranking 124th (over 143).
Compared to the previous edition, Togo’s score rose by 0.08 points. However, the West African country lost two places. Last year, it ranked 122nd out of 137 countries assessed, with a score of 4.13.
In Africa, Togo is the 27th happiest country. The top three on the continent are Libya (66th globally) with 5.86 points, followed by South Africa (83rd globally) with 5.42 points, and Algeria (85th globally) with 5.36 points.
In West Africa, Côte d'Ivoire comes first with 5.08 points, although it ranks 96th globally. It is followed by Guinea (5.02 points) and Senegal (4.96 points), respectively second and third in the region.
Finland, Denmark, and Iceland are the three happiest countries in the world, according to the UN index. They scored 7.74, 7.58, and 7.52, respectively. At the other end of the spectrum are Lesotho, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. The last three scored 3.18, 2.70, and 1.72, respectively.
The 2024 World Happiness Report focuses particularly on three main well-being indicators: life evaluations, positive emotions, and negative emotions.
The report also assesses the levels of "compassion, freedom, generosity, honesty, health, social safety nets, and good governance" in countries surveyed.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: Phase III of ProSanté project begins
The Togolese Minister of Health, Prof. Moustafa Mijiyawa, kicked off the ProSanté III project on March 21. For an estimated budget of CFA10 billion, the project aims to improve the country’s health services and facilities. The components and intervention areas of the project were presented at the launch.
The previous editions, ProSanté I and ProSanté II, pooled in CFA16 billion in financing. These initiatives, which covered the years 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020, were financed by the German Cooperation.
The past editions helped draw strategies and measures to improve health services in Togo overall and in the Kara region in particular. Seventy health personnel were trained in the process, and various steps were also taken to improve sexual and reproductive health, as well as family planning. Over 240,000 women benefited from these actions.
Togo: 2,200 km of rural roads rehabilitated in 2021-2023
Between 2021 and 2023, 2,200 kilometers of rural roads have been rehabilitated in Togo, according to official sources cited by Togo First.
According to the same sources, an additional 2,552 kilometers are currently under construction as part of the national rural connectivity program. Moreover, 1,720 kilometers of rural roads underwent routine mechanized maintenance during the three years reviewed. This is out of 2,478 kilometers targeted in this area.
This year, the government plans to invest CFA53 billion in rural road development projects. This will cover the construction of 1,877 kilometers of rural roads and 2,074 units of infrastructure, mechanized routine maintenance of 1,844 kilometers of rural roads, manual routine maintenance of 4,500 kilometers of rural roads, and the establishment of a database on rural roads.
The recent rehabilitation and construction projects align with the government’s strategy to open up rural parts of the country; a strategy started in 2020. The government hopes to rehabilitate and build 4,752 kilometers of rural roads by 2025.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: In New York, Minister Apedoh-Anakoma underscores the government’s efforts to empower women
The Togolese Minister of Women Empowerment and Literacy, Lolonyo Apedoh-Anakoma, was in New York last week for the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68).
On the sidelines of the session, the Togolese official shared her country’s experience regarding women's empowerment. Togo, it is worth noting is the best in Africa when it comes to promoting women’s leadership. The country earned the title in the World Bank’s 2024 Women, Business, and the Law report.
The theme of the conference led by Minister Apedoh-Anakoma was “Strengthening the Socio-Economic Resilience of Women and Youth to Prevent Violent Extremism”. The official underscored steps that Lomé took to enhance women’s socioeconomic resilience.
She emphasized that 72% of beneficiaries of the National Inclusive Finance Fund (FNFI), an initiative addressing the financial needs of vulnerable groups, are women. Additionally, 41% of the 840,000 indirect jobs created through the Support Project for Employability and Integration of Youth in Promising Sectors (PAEIJ-SP) are held by women.
Since 2019, Togolese authorities have increased the allocation of public contracts to young entrepreneurs and women from 20% to 25%. Socially, a series of laws have been enacted to bring about significant improvements and beneficial changes for women.
Disclosing her country’s ambitions for 2030, Apedoh-Anakoma said “...the government has taken initiatives to combat poverty and promote women's rights, particularly their economic empowerment and effective participation in decision-making at all levels of the development process."
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: Lomé hosts 53rd ordinary session of the WAEMU’s Inter-Parliamentary Committee
Lomé, Togo, currently hosts the 53rd ordinary session of the Inter-Parliamentary Committee of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (IPC-WAEMU). The 10-day session focuses on the Union’s 2023 annual operation and progress report.
According to Togo’s parliament, the meeting aims to enable WAEMU deputies to better understand how the ICP operates and is organized. It also aims to inform them about the economic challenges and development issues facing the Union's member states, so they can help tackle these issues more efficiently.
At the session’s opening, Fonnona Coulibaly, VP of the IPC WAEMU, said the meeting provides "an opportunity to assess the progress made in 2023 and to reaffirm our determination to collectively address the new challenges we will face in the new year."
During these discussions, IPC-WAEMU members will address the renewal of the IPC bureau and sub-committee bureau members for the year 2024. They will also discuss key topics such as the installation of the interim IPC president, the parliamentary seminar on the examination of the 2023 report from the UEMOA commission on the operation and evolution of the Union, along with a note of observations from the IPC, as well as the 2023 annual report on the operation and evolution of the Union.
Cashew exports earn Togo close to CFA20 billion annually
Togo earns about CFA20 billion per year from exporting cashew and cashew derivatives. Representatives of the sector’s national council, the CIFAT, disclosed the information on March 14, which was the National Cashew Day in Togo.
According to Agridigitale, which quoted the representatives, every year, between CFA17 billion and CFA20 billion are generated through export, thanks to the sector’s 50,000 stakeholders including 31,500 farmers.”
The data was shared in Kpalimé, in the Plateaux region, where the National Cashew Day was celebrated. On the same day, the country launched the sales campaign for its cashew and cashew-derivated products.
Last year, Togo produced close to 40,000 t of cashew (38,880 t), up from 23,000 t in 2019. Observers expect the upward dynamic to be maintained this year.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
World Bank delegation in Togo to help assess and develop cold chain in vegetable and poultry sectors
A World Bank delegation is currently in Togo meeting various local stakeholders in the vegetable and poultry sectors. The mission started on March 14 and will end on March 22, 2024. Its focus is to improve the cold chain in both sectors.
In detail, participants will assess existing cooling infrastructure, and based on their assessment, draw strategies to tackle issues and improve the cold chain. At the end of the mission, a cold chain investment strategy will be drawn as well.
The mission aligns with the Bank’s Food System Resilience Program in West Africa (FSRP). The program, which benefits from a $50 million financing from the World Bank, should foster food security and help boost agricultural output.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: President Gnassingbé kicks off a nationwide bridge construction project in Kolidè, Plateaux region
As announced a few days ago, President Faure Gnassingbé has kicked off in Kolidè (in the Plateaux region) a project for building 21 bridges across the country. The leader launched the works on March 20.
The works are co-financed by Togo and France. France provided CFA50 billion and Togo CFA15 billion. The financing agreement with France was signed in June 2023, by the Togolese Minister of Finance and the French Ambassador to Togo.
Scheduled to end in 36 months, the project will be implemented in all five economic regions of Togo. Combined, the bridges will span 2,271.6 m.
Matière, a French firm that builds modular metal bridges, will develop the project. The firm will collaborate with local companies, selected through tenders.
The project supports the government’s ambition to open up rural areas in Togo, thus enabling the people of the areas to access basic socioeconomic services and sell agricultural produce more easily.
Esaïe Edoh