A cybersecurity regional hub will soon be built in Lomé, Togo

ITC

Friday, 19 August 2022 17:59

A cybersecurity regional hub will soon be built in Lomé, Togo

(Togo First) - Togo will soon host a regional cybersecurity hub: the African Cybersecurity Center. The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will help the country build the facility. Both parties have already signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to this end, according to a joint release dated August 16, 2022.

“The Togolese Republic and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are pleased to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding for close collaboration to build the African Cybersecurity Coordination and Research Center in Togo,” reads the release.

Cina Lawson, minister of the digital economy and digital transformation, welcomed the news, saying: "We are pleased to partner with ECA, to bolster our commitment to making cybersecurity a top priority for our states. Our ambition is to make our country a true digital hub in Africa. Our partnership model with the private sector is an innovative approach we want to put forward, to inspire other countries, and foster safer cyberspace on the continent.”

The African Cybersecurity Center will be built in Lomé. Among others, it will provide expertise in cybersecurity, promote this discipline, and investigate cybercriminal activities.

The Center’s currently-known missions include building capacity and supporting established cybersecurity agencies in African countries, working with African governments, policymakers, law enforcement, and security experts. Overall, the hub aims to develop effective frameworks for assessing and tackling cyber threats, while promoting cybersecurity in the region. It will also provide highly specialized technical and research skills to boost cybersecurity, in West Africa, and Africa in general.

Last March, Togo hosted Africa’s first cybersecurity summit. Co-organized with UNECA, the event brought together Heads of State and governments, as well as leaders of the private sector and civil society. On this occasion, the "Lomé declaration on cybersecurity and the fight against cybercrime," or the Lomé Declaration, was adopted.

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.