Togo: African Development Bank strengthens partnership with civil society
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) held its first-ever Civil Society Open Day in Lomé, Togo, on 3 June. The event brought together representatives from the Togolese government, around 30 national and international civil society organisations (CSOs), and Bank staff — all committed to strengthening development partnerships in Togo.
The key personalities at the event all emphasised this shared vision.
Opening the event, Stéphane Akaya, Secretary General of Togo's Ministry of Economy and Finance, stressed the importance of civil society: "This open day with the African Development Bank reaffirms our joint commitment to inclusive and transparent progress. We are seeking to strengthen a tripartite partnership, where civil society is engaged from conception through to evaluation in order to ensure effective, people-centred development."
Seconding Mr Akaya's point, Wilfrid Abiola, Head of the Togo Country Office of AfDB Group, said: "The African Development Bank Group remains committed to strengthening collaboration with Togolese civil society, which is a key player in sustainable development.'
The CSO Open Day in Lomé aimed to strengthen collaboration between the Bank and civil society by sharing information on the Bank's development operations and projects in Togo. It also sought to encourage dialogue on the role of CSOs throughout the project cycle — from planning and preparation to implementation, supervision, and completion.
"We are keen to strengthen our partnership with civil society organisations in Togo, encouraging open dialogue and promoting their full participation in the projects that we support," Zeneb Touré, Head of the AfDB's Civil Society and Community Engagement Division, said.
Minemba Traore, Senior Civil Society Officer for West Africa at the Bank Group, shared information on the institution's engagement with CSOs, while Ndey Oley Cole, Senior Programme Officer in the AfDB's Gender, Women and Civil Society Department, presented a summary of the exchanges.
Key outcomes and next steps from the discussions included:
Greater involvement of civil society: CSOs will be included in all phases of development projects.
Creation of a formal dialogue platform: The Bank, government, and CSOs will work together to establish a permanent forum for ongoing consultation.
Capacity building for CSOs: Training will be provided in project monitoring and evaluation, proposal writing, and market access strategies.
Improved communication: The Bank will share information on its activities in Togo in a more dynamic and accessible way, better meeting the needs of partners and the public.
Promotion of social inclusion and diversity: Efforts will be made to ensure greater participation of young people and women in development initiatives.
Development of a detailed action plan: Concrete deliverables and clear deadlines will guide follow-up and ensure effective implementation of commitments.
The Open Day laid the foundations for closer partnerships, which can provide spaces for exchange, consultation and collaboration between the Bank, CSOs and other stakeholders in Togo.
Such an approach will enable the AfDB to better understand local priorities, discuss partnership opportunities and receive input from civil society on the projects that it finances in Togo.
The initiative is aligned with the Bank Group's Civil Society Engagement Action Plan 2024-2028, which was approved last year. Under Pillar 3 of this action plan, particular attention will be paid to strengthening dialogue with civil society organisations in the countries where the Bank works. Holding of civil society open days in regional member countries of the Bank is a key mechanism for operationalising this commitment.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
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