Togo is introducing a new financing initiative aimed at supporting young and female entrepreneurs. Named the Project to Support Young Men and Women Entrepreneurs in Job-Creating Value Chains (PAJEC), this initiative was officially launched on Monday, February 24, 2025, in Lomé by the Minister of Grassroots Development, Financial Inclusion, Youth, and Youth Employment, Mazamesso Assih.
With a total budget of 28 billion FCFA, this program is intended to foster more inclusive economic growth and provide decent job opportunities. It is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) along with the Togolese government.
The responsibility for implementing this program has been assigned to the Agency for the Development of Very Small, Small, and Medium Enterprises (ADTME) for a duration of five years. It will be rolled out across the country’s five economic regions, focusing on value chains in crucial sectors such as agribusiness, transport, and logistics.
The program is aimed at very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises (VSMEs) involved in producing goods and services that can be marketed. These enterprises will receive financial services, which include both pre-financing and post-financing.
According to Minister Mazamesso Assih, PAJEC is designed to tackle the significant obstacles that impede the growth of young entrepreneurs, particularly regarding access to financing and markets. “The government is conscious of the difficulties young people encounter. We recognize that gaining access to finance, markets, and skills is vital for the success of their endeavors. Therefore, through PAJEC, we will seek to establish partnerships with the private sector, financial institutions, and international organizations to provide them with effective and lasting support,” the minister emphasized.
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By the year 2028, the project aims to lessen poverty, underemployment, and job insecurity among young people and women. The objective is to incorporate 9,230 small and medium-sized enterprises into value chains, offering targeted support to encourage their growth and strengthening.
This initiative complements other efforts aimed at benefiting Togolese youth, such as the creation of the Youth Economic Initiatives Support Fund (FAIEJ) and the National Agency for the Promotion and Guarantee of Financing of SMEs/SMIs (ANPGF).
