Interview with Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, Prime Minister since September 28, 2020. The first woman to head the Togolese government, she is responsible for carrying out the new strategic plan aimed at accelerating the transformation of the country's economy.
What are the main challenges to be addressed within the framework of the government's 2020-2025 roadmap?
Before discussing the challenges, I would like to recall the context, marked by three major events, that led to the development of this roadmap. First, we have learned and drawn lessons from the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2022 and the encouraging results achieved by our country in recent years. Second, it is clear that the great ambitions stemming from the commitments made by the Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, to the population must now guide our actions. The last element was the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected all areas and spared no country in the world.
The government's 2020-2025 roadmap has therefore made it possible to adjust the integrated national vision by focusing on greater efficiency in the conduct of public action, the pursuit of reforms and the acceleration of the achievement of results for the benefit of the Togolese people. It has been structured with a very focused perspective, broken down into coherent strategic axes and is based on the vision of a "Togo at peace, a modern nation with inclusive and sustainable economic growth."
The first axis aims to strengthen inclusion, social harmony, and consolidate peace. This desired inclusion is three-dimensional: social, economic, and financial. It will: strengthen the capacities and resilience of communities in the face of exogenous shocks, facilitate their access to basic social services, and strengthen their financial empowerment. The objective is to reduce inequalities by enabling as many Togolese as possible to integrate into the economic and social fabric of our country. The emphasis is thus placed on human capital by placing people at the heart of development. There is also the urgent need to continue ensuring security, peace, and justice for all. The second axis of our roadmap focuses on the creation of wealth and jobs by building on our strengths: a country with a geostrategic position, a dynamic youth, an entrepreneurial and reforming country, an agile and innovative country, a sustainable and inclusive country.
The modernization and attractiveness of agriculture, the largest contributor to GDP (40%), remain major challenges to be addressed. This ambition is at the heart of economic development and remains the foundation of Togo's industrial transformation. Finally, the strong logistics capabilities offered by our port constitute an important source of wealth creation which, if properly exploited, strengthens Togo's position as a hub for the West African sub-region.
Through the third strategic axis, we aim to modernize our country, particularly through the digitalization of processes and services. Modernizing the country and strengthening its structures aims to support the development momentum. Returning to the coronavirus pandemic, it has, of course, affected our development momentum. But we have been able to resist and are already in the recovery phase. Thanks to the scale of the diversity and agility of our actions, Togo ended 2020 with 1.81% growth in a context of widespread economic decline.
Also, the crisis has not prevented us from demonstrating that we can be ambitious even in the midst of a health crisis! Ambitions for greater inclusion have been realized through the "novissi" cash transfer program, implemented in two weeks through a digital platform and which has reached nearly a million people made economically vulnerable by the health crisis, the adoption of the law establishing universal health insurance, the launch of the WEZOU project, which in 6 months has enabled 70,000 women to benefit. I will conclude by saying that, based on the clear guidelines of the Head of State, the government is determined to provide a favorable environment to attract a variety of investors and to further mobilize our national private sector, which is a partner of choice. However, as I mentioned previously, we do not forget the security aspect, which is an equally important and determining factor in attracting investors. The Togolese Head of State is very attentive to these issues, and we are actively working on them in order to preserve peace and security in our country. 60% of the Togolese population is under 25 years old.
What support mechanisms has the Togolese state put in place for the economic integration of young people?
Young people constitute the majority of the population. They remain an asset, a vital force on which we must rely for the development of our country.
The State believes in the potential of young people. When they are well educated, well trained, and healthy, young people bring inestimable value to the realization of our ambitions.
This is why the roadmap places particular emphasis on the development of human capital with the improvement of educational infrastructure, health care services, and an active social protection strategy.
We also understood very early on that we need to support young people in their professional integration.
This is why youth empowerment mechanisms and entrepreneurship development programs have been put in place, along with specific programs to structure agricultural value chains in which young people are heavily involved. Thanks to these programs, we have been able to create over a period of 5 years a little over 700,000 jobs for young people in the production and agro-industry sectors (soybeans, rice, corn, cassava, etc.): this has enabled Togo to become the leading African exporter of organic soybeans to Europe.
The result is simply edifying. Today, we are witnessing the emergence of a class of young entrepreneurs. The challenge is to find the best support to sustain their growth and enable them to fully play their role as the driving force of the Togolese economy. We must also remember that our country has chosen to promote volunteerism. Because beyond these entrepreneurship programs, we are convinced that it is also important to develop civic values in these young people. The establishment of work-study training institutes for development (IFAD), whether in agriculture (aquaculture, livestock), construction, renewable energy, or logistics, contributes to this voluntary approach to youth integration. As I mentioned above, the ambitions set out in the government's roadmap have a dual objective: to ensure greater inclusion and to create a large number of sustainable jobs for young Togolese people.
What is your vision of the Africa of tomorrow?
I would first like to recall our country's vision: "a Togo at peace, a modern nation with inclusive and sustainable economic growth." This vision, which places great emphasis on social inclusion and harmony, is driven by the strong leadership of the Head of State and is based on solid partnerships with the private sector.
In Africa, the future will be increasingly younger and more feminine! The Togolese experience is already showing the way, with women and young people holding key positions of responsibility in the country. We believe that Africa today has a potential of young people to whom the world will turn, as most continents are facing an aging population.
Today's Africa is already an innovative Africa. We therefore believe that it would be appropriate for state policies to strengthen inclusion in all spheres and at all levels, allowing no one to be left behind and creating a favorable environment for the blossoming of each individual's genius.
With its port, one of the most efficient and secure in Africa, Togo positions itself at the heart of this continent as a gateway to West Africa. With initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), our country offers access to a continental market. I invite you to discover Togo, this country of 8 million inhabitants, which is a great country of ambition, hard work, and results. A country that demonstrates exceptional resilience...