Togo: A posthumous tribute to Djondo and Fokam, as the country honours the architects of Africa’s economic development whilst they are still alive
Lomé was the setting for an exceptional and deeply emotional ceremony on Saturday, June 20, 2026. For the first time, a solemn tribute was paid—during their lifetimes to two tutelary figures of economic pan-Africanism: Mr. Gervais Koffi Djondo and Dr. Kammogne Fokam.
The initiative, led by the Togolese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo) under the impetus of President Faure Gnassingbé, honored these two captains of industry as builders of a visionary African entrepreneurship firmly oriented toward continental integration.
The tribute celebrated the living legacy of these two men, whose achievements speak for themselves.
Dr. Kammogne Fokam, an iconoclastic builder, is a promoter of wealth creation in impoverished communities and the founder of the pan-African banking group Afriland First Bank. Mr. Gervais Koffi Djondo, for his part, connected African countries to one another through the pan-African bank Ecobank, which he founded, before creating the airline Asky Airlines.
A former Togolese prime minister hailing from the private sector, he embodies excellence and perseverance.
The moving testimonials that filled the gathering revealed men driven by a profound conviction: Africa can only develop through its own entrepreneurs and its economic integration.
The ceremony revolved around the collective work entitled “Two Captains of Industry Tell Their Stories.”
In 170 pages and 13 articles, the two authors paint an unflinching portrait of the environment that too often stifles economic initiative on the continent: state pressures, tax burdens, political score-settling, unfair international competition, colonial legacies, and regressive education.
Their assessment is unequivocal: “In Africa, when an entrepreneur fails, everything is done to ensure he fails. In Europe, when an entrepreneur fails, everything is done to ensure he succeeds.” A powerful message inviting a rethinking of the support mechanisms for African entrepreneurship.
Before an audience composed of the highest authorities of Togo, the diplomatic corps, and economic operators from the subregion, the two pan-Africanists expressed their gratitude to the CCI-Togo for this tribute during their lifetimes.
Their dream remains intact: to see Africa free from poverty one day. To achieve this, they urge their brothers and sisters to persevere in their work, without yielding to failures, which they see merely as obstacles to overcome on the path to success.
The President of the CCI-Togo, Dr. José Kwassi Syménouh, summed up the spirit of the ceremony: to honor these captains during their lifetimes rather than posthumously is to recognize that their vision and commitment have contributed to the emergence of an entrepreneurship capable of meeting the challenges of development and propelling the continent’s economic ambitions.
Chantal TAWELESSI
