From September 24 to October 4, 2024, Lomé will host the 3rd extraordinary session of the ECOWAS Parliament, alongside the 2nd parliamentary orientation seminar for the 6th legislature. 

The upcoming extraordinary session will focus on adopting the ECOWAS’ 2025 draft budget, ensuring budget stability, and implementing reforms to modernize the institution, according to the National Assembly. These align with ECOWAS’ 2050 Vision which aims at an integrated, prosperous, and peaceful West Africa.

The meeting should regroup 115 parliamentarians from the 15 member states and will emphasize financial inclusion for women and strengthening regional governance amid ongoing security and economic challenges.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Throughout the first half of the year, outstanding loans extended by microfinance institutions active in Togo reached nearly CFA400 billion (CFA395.697 billion), up by 13.3% year-on-year. The Microfinance Directorate (DMF) of the Ministry of Economy and Finance disclosed the figure on September 20, during a meeting organized by the Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems (APSFD-Togo).

This growth reflects renewed public confidence in decentralized financial systems (SFD). Additionally, the number of microfinance customers increased by 8.1% compared to 2023, reaching almost 4.2 million. The total number of service points also rose slightly, 0.5%, to 625.

Despite the improvements, challenges remain. For example, over the period reviewed, there was a decline in the quality of SFD portfolios, which affects profitability. The DMF also noted structural issues such as insufficient capital and weak information systems. Regulatory authorities must tackle these issues to stabilize the sector and secure transactions.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo seeks to secure new World Bank funding to support education, health, social protection, and gender equality initiatives. Related talks began last week in Lomé between Prime Minister Victoire Tomégah-Dogbé and a World Bank team.

During the meeting, the Togolese side highlighted how it used past World Bank financing to boost human capital. According to the latest United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, Togo's human development index rose from 0.539 in 2022 to 0.547 in 2023, although the country fell one spot in the global rankings to 162nd.

Lomé wants to consolidate these gains, especially in social sectors, which are crucial for economic growth and job creation. Prime Minister Tomegah-Dogbé stressed that the government’s roadmap prioritizes health, education, and social protection to develop human capital and empower the workforce.

"The government roadmap prioritizes social sectors like health and education to develop human capital for growth and job creation. We want our country to have an active force capable of self-sufficiency. We are implementing mechanisms to strengthen women's empowerment through inclusive finance programs," Tomegah-Dogbe said.

Togo plans to accelerate actions in social protection and women's empowerment. 

During the recent meeting, the two sides also discussed other sectors such as energy and digital technology alongside social priorities.

As of February 29, 2024, the World Bank's commitment to Togo stood at $1 billion, covering six national projects ($403 million) and nine regional operations ($597 million). With new projects under negotiation, this portfolio is expected to exceed $2 billion in the next three years.

Esaïe Edoh

The Togolese capital, Lomé, is hosting a high-level regional training course focused on port development. This event, which started on Sept. 23 has gathered delegates from 16 ports in West and Central Africa. It is the fruit of maritime cooperation efforts between Togo and Malaysia.

The training runs until September 28. It will cover organization and strategies in the international maritime and port sector. It will enable participants–members of the West and Central African Ports Management Association (AGPAOC)-to learn from each other and improve their expertise, competitiveness, and port performance.

The workshop will cover maritime market trends, international port strategies, and innovations in the maritime sector. It will close with visits to port infrastructure and the Adétikopé Industrial Platform (PIA), to enable participants to better understand Togolese facilities and their role in regional economic development.

The Togolese government is working to standardize the management of local authorities, especially at the communal level. On September 17, 2024, the process began to create organization charts and administrative, financial, and technical procedure manuals for local authorities in Lomé.

This meeting was organized by the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Customary Chieftaincy (MATDCC) to discuss the documents’ preliminary drafts. A final standard document will be submitted to the government for approval after the meeting on September 21.

The documents should help municipalities better address their people’s needs, especially in areas like drinking water, education, health, and public hygiene. According to the Director of Decentralization and Local Authorities, Pali Essossinam, "it is necessary for these tools to be available to enable local authorities to better succeed in their mission.”

For his part, the Ministry's Secretary General, Esso Koudjoou, pointed out that these tools are essential for optimizing administrative management and guaranteeing greater responsiveness to the expectations of our fellow citizens. 

Koudjoou added that these tools are crucial for improving administrative management and ensuring a quicker response to citizens' needs, declaring: "These tools are essential for clarifying roles and responsibilities within our local administrations. They will serve to align the objectives of our local authorities with the expectations of the people, while strengthening the trust between elected representatives and constituents."

Esaïe Edoh

Togo’s Education and Development Agency (AED) and the Training Center for Industrial Trades also known as Centre de Formation aux Métiers de l'Industrie (CFMI) have partnered to improve vocational training for young people. The related agreement was signed on September 17, 2024, in Lomé.

This collaboration will enhance the training content at the Institutes of Alternating Training for Development also known as Instituts de Formation en Alternance pour le Développement (IFAD) using CFMI's expertise. Students in the IFAD Renewable Energies program will gain access to advanced technologies from CFMI, while CFMI students will benefit from the practical experience offered by IFAD, especially in construction and artificial intelligence.

The goal is to provide training that better meets job market demands. Noupokou Dammipi, director of AED, commented: "The world is changing, and we need to adapt. We need to innovate in the training we give young people."

The new partnership adds to several other agreements signed by AED to support IFAD students. Such as the graduate support agreements signed with the Ministry of Grassroots Development, the Fund for Supporting Youth Economic Initiatives also known as Fonds d'Appui aux Initiatives Économiques des Jeunes (FAIEJ) and microfinance COOPEC-AD. 

Esaïe Edoh 

The NanaTech digital training program is expanding its support for women in Togo. Currently, twenty women traders and entrepreneurs are participating in a training course as part of the "NanaTech Immersion" program in Tsévié, which runs until September 21, 2024.

During this week-long training, participants will learn about digital transformation, digital marketing, financial management using digital tools, and developing managerial skills for the digital age. The goal is to help them integrate technology into their businesses and improve their leadership abilities.

Bandékine Yendoubé, Secretary General of the Zio prefecture, described the initiative as "revolutionary" for empowering Togolese women. Mawulolo Roger Lasmothey, a technical advisor to the ministry overseeing digitalization, noted that this initiative aligns with the country's strategy to enhance women's skills in line with its digital transformation goals.

Supported by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) through OMCA-Togo, NanaTech is an initiative from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation. It aims to equip women with business management skills and digital tools to boost their competitiveness. "NanaTech Immersion" is one of five components of this initiative. Recently, the "Lab" component concluded its first phase, which supported around 50 young women entrepreneurs in the ICT sector with a pitch ceremony that showcased three business projects.

South Korea donated computers and printers to the Togolese municipalities of Lacs 1, Agoè-Nyivé 1, and Agoè-Nyivé 2. The equipment was handed over on September 17 by  Moon Dongkyu, the Minister Counselor of the Republic of Korea in Togo.

"In the digital age, it is timely to provide this support to local authorities to better serve their constituents," Moon Dongkyu declared.

In March 2023, South Korea and Togo reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate in key areas such as agriculture, health, education, renewable energy, and information and communication technologies.

South Korea has been active in Togo for many years, through its International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Among others, the KOICA provided nearly CFA3 billion to support the Savanes region, under a program titled “Improving equitable and sustainable access to quality education for all children in Northern Togo.”

Esaïe Edoh