In recent years, it is the hustle and bustle in the market of private and public social housing in Togo. The continued growth of the population, coupled with sustained urbanization has created enormous needs in all sectors, particularly in terms of high and medium standard housing. The statistics are clear: they show a deficit of 300,000 decent housing nationwide, including 100,000 in Lomé.
To solve the problem, the Togolese government deals with many real estate projects.
Land reforms to promote urban development in Togo
Who speaks Development also speaks reform. To enable urban development, the Togolese government has developed since June 2009, a new land code accompanied by a National Housing Strategy (SNL) and a national policy statement of the urban sector in Togo. Quickly, to overcome the lack of housing, a draft law on the land code and a feasibility study for the creation of a Housing Bank in Togo have been drawn. These various devices have enabled Togo to reorganize the housing sector to make available to the people decent and affordable housing. « The development strategies are underway in Togo. These development strategies are already developed and in a few years, the face of the Togolese capital will change. The modernization of Lome is not a luxury but a necessity « said Koffi Aholou, head of the Urban Development Strategy Project » Grand Lomé. »
The first construction works started
The population of Lomé continues to grow at an uncontrolled pace and the city is expanding. The supply of social and « economic » housing, including civil servants and active young private is increasingly numerous, but insufficient. « The housing sector in particular social housing is experiencing a large deficit in Togo. The deficit is 500,000 decent housing by 2020, « said Fabrice Awoulolo, architect, member of the board of Togo architects. Aware of this garish deficit, in January 2015, the President of the Togolese Republic has launched a first pilot program to build 1,000 social housing. Mainly for civil servants (categories A1, A2 and B), this project aims to find solutions to allow all social categories of Togo to access decent housing. An inseparable action of the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Employment Promotion (SCAPE), as the minister of Urbanization and Housing, who finds a way to support excellence in administration and in the enterprises.
« The agreement signed last June with our Chinese partners to build such housing is in line with the housing policy whose pilot phase started in 2014 with the construction of 50,000 housing for civil servants . Demand is strong but solvent, and we must support it « , said Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Togolese Republic during the signing ceremony, in China, with the Chinese private company Poly Group, responsible for the project implementation.
The first cities already springing up
« Development is a whole. Economic growth cannot be achieved without creating decent and sustainable framework to the official, « recognizes an urbanization expert at the Ministry of Housing in Togo. Today in Lome, many other specialists are convinced that with these improvements in the macroeconomic framework and dynamism shown by some key sectors, it would be easy to hold the headland for growth set by the SCAPE.
This is what explains that already in 2014, the construction of large-scale social housing projects took shape in Togo. The example of PURISE (emergency rehabilitation of infrastructure and electrical services) funded at more than $ 50 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is quite edifying. « This is to stimulate growth through infrastructure, generating thousands of jobs through the work to realize and foster inclusive development through access to housing for all social groups in our country, » said Otèth Ayassor, then Togolese Minister of Finance. Apart from this project, two other projects such as the construction of a city « Mokpokpo » (hope in the Ewe language) and the city « angels » were initiated by the Togolese government in partnership with the private sector to enable people to have decent housing. According to Hatem Al-Kadi, CEO of ABRI 2000, in 35 months the first pilot project of 540 housing called « Mokpokpo » could spring up in Adidogomé (northwest suburb of Lomé). « The Mokpokpo city is a project of social housing for Togolese officials (categories A1, A2, A3 and B). This project is being implemented by two foreign operators, the Ivorian Company for real estate development (SIPIM) and the Moroccan Abri 2000, « explained the Minister of Urban Planning and Housing, Mr K. Fiatuwo Sessenou.
According to the Togolese authorities, the city will have a hospital and shopping center, schools, parking and green spaces for use by residents. « This unique program is designed to provide functional family houses and flat. The entire program should be delivered in 2018, « added the Minister Sessenou.
At what price Togolese can become owners of the new houses?
The conditions of acquisition are, among others: being a Togolese national and state official (category A1, A2, A3 and B), and express the need for social housing by filling the « Sheet purchaser identity « available at the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing and the headquarters of SIPIM and finally to be accompanied by one of the partner banks in the project that are Orabank, BIA-Togo and the Atlantic Bank. « These banks may grant loans repayable over a period of 15 to 20 years with an interest rate of 7.75% to employees who wish to acquire these homes, » said the Minister of Urbanization.
However, it should be noted that private sector employees are not forgotten. As maintains the now former Minister of Finance Adji Otèth Ayassor, individuals can also acquire these homes through mortgages on fifteen or twenty years, with reasonable interest rates. « The state is counting on the private sector to support its policy and, in this regard, several banks operating in Togo have been associated with these projects, » he added. This also justifies the participation in the project of the regional fund mortgage refinancing of the Economic and Monetary Union of West Africa (UEMOA).
As for the final cost of the apartments, the minister of Urbanization reassures indicating that the apartments will be sold at: « affordable prices, ranging from 7 to 17 million CFA francs. »
By Emmanuel Atcha
