User:Esperanza Kokou/Edem Tengue

Kokou Edem Tengue, born September 24, 1980 in Lomé, is a Togolese politician, business leader, economist and chartered accountant.

Since October 1, 2020, he has been Minister of Maritime Economy, Fisheries and Coastal Protection in the Victoire Tomegah Dogbé government;

Early life and studies
A graduate of Sciences Po Paris, the University of Leicester and the University of Birmingham, he joined the Maersk group's training program in Copenhagen from 2003 until 2005. He also obtained an MBA from Imperial College London.

From 2005 to 2007, he was assigned as assistant to the financial director of the group's regional office, which covers all of Scandinavia and the Baltic States. He was then based in Gothenburg, Sweden.

He returned to Togo as financial director of the three group companies Maersk Togo S.A., Damco Togo S.A. and Lomé Terminal service that the Maersk group had created with the aim of bidding for the privatization of handling activities at the port of Lomé. He was appointed commercial director then general manager of the Togolese subsidiary of the Danish conglomerateMaersk.

He was elected president of the association of shipping companies in Togo.

Political career
He was elected in the electoral district of Haho to the Togolese National Assembly under the colors of the UNIR party during the legislative elections of 2018. However, he gave up his seat after three months.

On October 1, 2020, he was appointed Minister of the Maritime Economy. ,.

Professional association
Edem Tengue is a member of the Chartered Management Accountants Association of the United Kingdom (CIMA ; membre associé), the Chartered Accountants Association of Australia e and the Institute of leadership and management of the United Kingdom..

Positions
As an economist, Edem Tengue has worked on sovereign debt issues in African countries [ref. necessary], work culminating in a dissertation at the University of Birmingham and a doctoral thesis defended at the University of Lomé on the theme of the determinants and sustainability of public debt. He asserts in particular that cancellation programs are not very effective if they do not attack the determinants of indebtedness such as demographics, imports and exports. He argues that it is by reducing demography and imports and increasing exports in value that we can permanently reverse the trend of debt accumulation in African countries.[ref. necessary] He also argues that the southern states which have a coastline should, through the development and sustainable development of this facade (port activities, tourist activities) create a showcase of prosperity which should reflect this prosperity on their back country.

On the political level in his memoirs at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris, he asserts that the link between democracy and development cannot be clearly established, contrary to the promises of the La Baule Speech. He argues that it is better to build democratic fundamentals through the construction of the rule of law and economic freedoms

The current Togolese Minister for the Maritime Economy and Coastal Protection considers that the players in the maritime world are on the front line to save biodiversity. IHe pleads for a blue economy which would be an accelerator of sustainable growth. Its ministerial department has emphasized aquaculture and imposes a sub-regional biological rest period.

Distinction

 * 2017 : Among the 20 Young Leaders of the French-African Foundation
 * 2018 : Choiseuil ranking of economic  leaders of tomorrow
 * 2022 : Among the thirty most influential young economists in sub-Saharan Africa from the ICCE (Institute of Certified Chartered Economists
 * Officer of the order of Mono (2018)