News & Analysis: Togo
“Afrobarometer’s nationally representative surveys in five West African countries (Benin, Liberia, Niger, Senegal, and Togo) offer less optimistic findings: On average, only four in 10 people say they would be likely to try to get vaccinated, including just one in three Liberians and one in five Senegalese. Most say they don’t trust their government to ensure that the vaccines are safe.”
“We find that effective programs have three critical structural features of financial infrastructure: digital payment channels, the presence of a basic digital identification system with broad population coverage, and simple data on individuals and businesses that are tethered to the ID.”
“When COVID-19 struck Africa and country-wide lockdowns began, Obi Ozor, founder and CEO of Kobo360 —an African company that is digitizing cargo delivery and connecting truck drivers with cargo companies—knew he had to act fast. The only way the business would outlast the pandemic, he realized, was if Kobo360’s operations went 100 percent digital.”
“While Togo’s mobile-based digital program stood out early on, it was not alone in Africa in providing social welfare relief for its citizens. More than 40 African countries have introduced or expanded social welfare programs since the pandemic.”
“The crisis triggered by the global coronavirus pandemic is expected to lead to a decline in growth from 5.3% in 2019 to 1% in 2020. However, growth is expected to gradually return to pre-crisis levels beginning in 2022, fueled by government investment in infrastructure and an uptick in private investment.”
“Mobile money is as an effective and physical-distancing-friendly option to deliver cash transfers in large scale, given that ownership and use of mobile phones in emerging and developing economies is very high.”
“In many sub-Saharan African countries, digital tools are supporting efforts to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. In Rwanda, for example, anti-epidemic robots are monitoring patients, delivering food and medication, while free e-consultation tools are helping Nigerians to self-assess infection risk and get tested based on symptoms.”
“The economic impact—particularly on vulnerable informal economy workers who depend on daily income for survival—also became apparent, especially given the broad lack of social safety nets. For its part, Togo has looked to solve that problem with Novissi, a digital cash transfer program that sends funds to citizens through mobile money.”
“Even outside of a pandemic situation, health workers face tough conditions in their jobs. But the toll this can take on their mental health is rarely discussed, and regular or immediate support is, in many cases, still lacking.”
“For its part, Togo has looked to solve that problem with Novissi, a digital cash transfer program that sends funds to citizens through mobile money. Togo’s president Faure Gnassingbé has said the scheme targets informal workers whose incomes were ‘disrupted’ by lockdowns.”
A hub for information, analysis, and the global response to COVID-19’s impact on Africa