On Monday 24 April in Brussels, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and the Prime Minister of Togo, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, signed two financing agreements totalling €70 million to strengthen the partnership between the EU and Togo.
The first agreement aims to develop agro-industries and their productivity while improving natural resource management, with a contribution of €30 million from the EU budget.
This ‘sustainable agribusiness’ initiative is part of the Global Gateway. It aims to transform certain value chains, such as pineapples and cashew nuts, to enhance food security, job creation, and the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity, says the Commission. Since 2021, the initiative has received €48 million from the EU budget and €72 million from France and Germany.
The second agreement concerns a €40 million budget support programme to support access to basic social services (including electricity), agriculture, and the decentralisation process.
In a press release, the Commission states that the EU is supporting the decentralisation process in Togo with €16 million from the EU budget, with a further €70 million coming from France and Germany. The aim is to equip municipalities with the skills and resources needed for socio-economic development, including strengthening the role of local authorities as local service providers in areas such as solid waste management.
With regard to electricity, Togo aims to achieve a 100% electrification rate by 2030, with 50% coming from renewable sources. Ongoing actions focus on extending and increasing the density of the distribution network over 3 500 km and producing 4.5 megawatts of energy from renewable sources.
This initiative is supported by €41.9 million from the EU and €85 million from France and Germany. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)