Rumors of low voter turnout in Togo's April 29 elections quickly spread on social media. The day following the elections, Dago Yabré, President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), dismissed these claims. Yabré explained that the perception of low turnout was due to the many polling stations nationwide.

A total of 14,271 polling stations were set up nationwide for these elections. CENI took steps like reducing the number of voters per station from 500 to 350 to prevent “long lines and potential fraud”.

While official voter turnout numbers are not yet available the commission started sharing initial trends on April 30, 2024.

Overall, 4.2 million Togolese citizens were eligible to vote, choosing 113 parliamentary representatives and 179 regional councilors. This election is a significant step in the country's democratic progress.

Esaïe Edoh

International Workers' Day in Togo was marked by a meeting between the Minister of Public Service, Gilbert Bawara, and representatives of the Coordination of Trade Union Centers of Togo (CCST) and employers. They discussed the challenges of social dialogue and preserving social peace.

The talks focused on traditional concerns and implementing the Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a subject of ongoing discussion and negotiation. Minister Bawara emphasized the importance of improving UHC and workers' living conditions to ensure a serene social climate. "We have discussed how to address the major issues of social dialogue, such as Universal Health Coverage (UHC), social security, better living conditions for workers, and how to improve them to preserve the climate of peace and social security," he said, as quoted by Togo Presse.

The government is committed to supporting social partners in their determination to seek the well-being of workers. The President of the Togolese Employers' Association, Laurent Tamegnon, welcomed the maintenance of the Social Pact and Social Dialogue, highlighting their contribution to a peaceful social year for workers.

The spokesperson for the CCST, Vissikou Sénouvo, explained that the trade union grievances addressed issues such as UHC and the challenges faced by informal workers. These concerns will be integrated into the list of demands before being submitted to the government.

It's worth noting that the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) launched a one-stop shop for its services to private sector workers in April.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Observer missions from the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, and CEN-SAD praised the smooth and transparent conduct of Togo's legislative and regional elections on April 29th.

AU's Positive Assessment

Ambassador Calixte Aristide Mbari, leading the AU Electoral Observation Mission, met with President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé on April 30th. The AU mission, present since April 21st, expressed satisfaction with the elections, highlighting their potential to strengthen democracy, peace, and national stability. Ambassador Mbari noted the increasing participation of women in the process, stating, "We are pleased with these discussions and we hope that the results can contribute to democratic consolidation, peace, and stability in the country."

Le Président de la République, @FEGnassingbe a reçu ce 30 avril 2024, une délégation de la Mission d’observation électorale de l’ @_AfricanUnion (MOE UA) conduite par l’Ambassadeur Calixte Aristide Mbari.https://t.co/LIf24T3eDw pic.twitter.com/OiELV4xYKJ

— Présidence Togolaise/Togolese Presidency (@PresidenceTg) April 30, 2024

CEN-SAD's Approval of Transparency

The CEN-SAD mission, led by Sangaré Youssouf, praised the elections as "free, fair, and transparent." They commended the quality of electoral materials and the setup of polling stations for ensuring transparency and confidentiality. The professionalism of security forces was particularly acknowledged for guaranteeing a smooth voting process.

ECOWAS Praises Youth Engagement

President Faure Gnassingbé welcomed the ECOWAS Electoral Observation Mission, led by former Gambian Vice President Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang. The ECOWAS mission highlighted the transparent nature of the electoral process, emphasizing the presence of all stakeholders and effective communication by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Mrs. Jallow-Tambajang noted the significant participation of voters, especially the youth, facilitated by effective communication strategies. "All stakeholders were present, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) ensured effective communication, facilitating massive participation of voters, especially the youth," she reported.

La Mission d’observation électorale de la @ecowas_cedeao a partagé, ce 30 avril 2024, avec le Président de la République, @FEGnassingbe les conclusions de sa mission au Togo dans le cadre du double scrutin législatif et régional.https://t.co/5i6fJoCIZd pic.twitter.com/iaPrchLj4c

— Présidence Togolaise/Togolese Presidency (@PresidenceTg) April 30, 2024

The preliminary results of the elections will be released gradually, marking the renewal of the National Assembly with 113 deputies and the election of 179 regional councilors for the first time.

Last year, the Tinga Fund achieved 20,971 grid connections in Togo. This is about half, 52.42%, of the number the project had set eyes for 2023. The Ministry of Economy and Finance reported the data in its "Implementation Report of Reforms for the Year 2023".

Meanwhile, the Minister of Energy, Mila Aziablé, highlighted that these electrical connections were predominantly executed in the Savanes, Kara, and Plateaux regions, helping electrification rates surge. In the Savanes region, the rate grew from 22% to 33% between 2022 and 2023. In the Kara and Plateaux regions, it rose by 9% and 10% respectively (from 35% to 44% in the former, and from 29% to 39% in the latter).

The Tinga Fund recently launched in the Central and Maritime regions, but the project was launched in April 2022. Since then, it has reached over 42,000 households and nearly 300,000 people, said Mila Aziablé.

This initiative allows underprivileged Togolese to access electrical connections for a monthly fee of CFA1000 over a period ranging from 4 to 10 years.

Esaïe Edoh

The Tinga Fund, after successful trials in various parts of Togo, is now being introduced in the Maritime region. On Friday, April 26th, the Minister Delegate for Energy and Mines, Aziablé Mila, officially launched pre-financed electricity connection offers in Tsévié.

This initiative allows Togolese residents to access electricity for 1000 CFA francs per month over 10 years. Following the launch, the Togolese Electricity Company (CEET) entered into contracts with 700 individuals.

Mila Aziablé mentioned that the Tinga Fund has benefitted close to 300,000 people since its inception in April 2022. Additionally, plans are in place to expand the fund's coverage to all cantons in the Maritime region, including the construction of 240 km of electrical network in Tsévié.

The Tinga Fund is operational in the Savanes, Kara, Central, and Plateaux regions.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Tony Elumelu Foundation: Togolese women entrepreneurs have until May 5 to apply to the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa Program

In Togo, young women entrepreneurs and those with business projects have until May 5th to apply for the Women Entrepreneurship for Africa program, supported by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). 

This opportunity was introduced during an awareness session on April 24th by Full Success Africa Solutions (FSA-solutions). The program offers $5,000 grants to 1,000 African women entrepreneurs focusing on green projects.

The program, now in its second edition and open to all African countries, aims to boost the entrepreneurial skills of African women in the green sector by facilitating access to funding, market opportunities, and technical knowledge and training. Alphonse Logo, FSA-solutions manager, stressed that this program is inclusive and encouraged women with green projects to apply confidently.

Interested applicants can find application details on the TEFconnect.net platform, with required documents including identification, business registration certificate, official proof of business ownership, official proof of administrator existence, and official partner consent. The Tony Elumelu Foundation, based in Nigeria, has been supporting entrepreneurship in Africa for over 14 years by offering financial assistance and training to African entrepreneurs, including those from Togo.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The Togo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo) is gearing up for new leadership. The Consular Electoral Commission (CEC) announced that candidate applications will open on May 2nd for 10 days. This follows the recent publication of the definitive voter lists.

This candidate submission phase marks a crucial step in a process started months ago to renew the CCI-T's governing bodies. The consular elections are part of a broader restructuring of the chamber, overseen by the executive, particularly the Ministry of Commerce.

According to sources, this initiative is expected to establish a more inclusive CCI-Togo, fostering representation from various commerce and industry stakeholders.

The CCI-Togo is led by a special delegation chaired by Nathalie Bitho. The delegation was set up after suspending the 2020 electoral process amid a dispute with certain economic operators. At the time, the CCI-Togo was led by Germain Mèba. 

Esaïe Edoh

Togo raised CFA32.9 billion on the Umoa securities market on April 26, 2024. The country raised the amount through a simultaneous issuance of Treasury Bonds (OAT) and Treasury Bills (BAT). Lomé’s target for the operation was CFA30 billion. 

According to the operation report, Togo collected CFA21 billion from the BATs issued with maturities of 364 days and multiple interest rates. The remaining CFA11.9 billion came from the OATs, which carry an annual interest rate of 6.15%, with a maturity of 3 years.

These funds were raised from 20 investors who bid CFA48 billion, representing a 160.26% coverage rate of the operation. Most of the proceeds - CFA25 billion - came from Togo and Ivory Coast.

Esaïe Edoh