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Cina Lawson

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Cina Lawson
Cina Lawson in 2016
Togolese Minister of Post and Digital Economy
Assumed office
17 September 2013
PresidentFaure Gnassingbé
Prime MinisterKwesi Ahoomey-Zunu
Togolese Minister of Post and Telecommunications
In office
28 May 2010 – 16 September 2013
Prime MinisterGilbert Houngbo
Personal details
NationalityTogolese
Alma materInstitut d'études politiques de Paris
John F. Kennedy School of Government

Cina Lawson, born in 1972, is a Togolese politician.

On the 17th of September 2013, she was appointed Minister of Postal Affairs and Digital Economy. She has held this position ever since[1].

In March 2012, she was named "young global leader" by the World Economic Forum in Davos. She was also featured in Forbes's top 20 "Youngest power women in Africa" two times, in 2012 and in 2014[2].

In May 2013, the news outlet Jeune Afrique ranked her as one of the 25 most influential women for business in Africa[3].

In 2016, she was featured in the top 55 African Doers by Tropics magazine, among other actors which contribute to the continent's dynamism.

Education

In 1996, Cina Lawson graduated from the Institut d’études politiques de Paris after two years of studies in the economic and financial program. She then obtained a masters of advanced studies in Applied Economics. She also holds a degree in History from the University Paris X[4].

Cina Lawson then continued her studies in the United States, where she received a master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[5]

Career

Lawson began her career in the communication and information technology department of the World Bank, in Washington DC[6]. There, she advised government on various matters such as telecom policies, regulatory reforms or privatization.

She also worked as consultant for Alcatel-Lucent in Paris. From 2006 to 2010, she worked for France Telecom North America (Orang Group) in their business development department.[7][8]

On the 28th of May 2010, she was appointed Minister of Post and Telecommunications of the Togolese Republic by Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo. She kept the position under the Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu administration[9].

In 2013, her portfolio expands to include digital affairs. This change denotes the will of the Togolese government to use information and communications technologies as a tool for economic development. To this day, she remains minister of Post and Digital Affairs under the administration of Prime Minister Komi Sélom Klassou's[10].

While in Office, Cina Lawson contributed to the development of Togo's digital administration[11], to the integration of ICT in the education system[12], and to the reduction of the digital divide[13]. She also initiated reforms to strengthen competition[14][15] (Licenses were issued in 2017 for two new Internet providers, TEOLIS SA and Vivendi Africa and two more were extended to include 4G in June 2018 (Moov Togo[16] and Togo Cellulaire)[17][18].

She also strived to modernize the regulatory framework surrounding electronic communications (law n° 2012-18 12/12/2012)[19], electronic transactions (law n° 2017-007 22/06/2017)[20], setting up an environment that fosters cyber commerce and facilitates the digitization of administrative proceeding which ensures the establishment of basic legal principles.

Achievements

E-government

Cina Lawson has worked to install a fiber optic network of 250km in Lomé, connecting buildings which harbors public administrations, hospitals and university while giving them access to high speed internet[21]. She also initiated several projects, including the creation of a professional email platform for government officials and of a unique internet portal[22] for the administration: www.togo.tg[23]. This portal combines the websites of the President (www.presidence.gouv.tg), the minister, the official journal (www.jo.gouv.tg[24]) and the digitalized public services (www.service-public.gouv.tg[25]).

To better connect small localities and the central government, Cina Lawson launched the "E-Village" initiative[26][27], which provided more than 4300 local leaders with a professional mobile phone, a sim card and phone credit. This was completed by the creation of an innovative platform which collects, analyses and treats information.

Education

The initiative Wifi Campus, launched in January 2018 enabled the deployment of a fiber optic network over university campuses and teaching hospitals in Lomé and Kara, in order to better connect them.

She also carried out in June 2018 the initiative "Environnement Numérique de Travail" in all technical and scientific high schools[28][29]. Educational resources were updated and a platform was set up for teachers, students and the whole staff to access information and educational services (online courses, timetable, homework, etc.)[30].

Digital and financial inclusion

Regarding agriculture, the project Agri-PME directed by Cina Lawson has since 2015 led to the identification of vulnerable farmers and to the digitization of the annual payment of their subsidies for fertilizers[31][32].

Cina Lawson contributed ton the presidential initiative CIZO, launched in November 2017, which sought to expand access to electricity through the provision of individual solar kits with basic electric equipment (lamps, radio, TV). The payment is done through a pay as you go system[33].

Under her influence, the Togolese Post Society launched in May 2018 the ECO CCP account, which is the first saving account that is free, available on mobile phone and remunerated within the UEMOA[34][35].

Restructuration

Cina Lawson is also committed to the strengthening of the sector's governance, through the establishment of news specialized independent institutions, and the National Agency on the Radiofrequency spectrum (ANSR)[36].

In July 2017, she initiated the restructuration of the historic operator Togo Telecom[37][38].

Recognition

In March 2012 the World Economic Forum named Lawson “Young Global Leader”.[39]

References

  1. ^ "Cina Lawson Archives - African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO)". African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO). Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  2. ^ "« The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2012  » : un grand merci à Forbes !". Cina Lawson (in French). 2012-12-14. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  3. ^ "Les 25 femmes les plus influentes du business en Afrique – JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  4. ^ "Sciences Po Alumni Magazine, Madame Télécoms". Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  5. ^ "World Economic Forum : Cina Lawson".
  6. ^ "Cina Lawson Archives - African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO)". African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO). Retrieved 2018-10-18.
  7. ^ "Cina Lawson". LinkedIn. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
  8. ^ "Cina Lawson et Natalie Meyenn : Bringing Cellular Phone Service to Rural Areas, Public policy for the Private Sector, Note No. 205, Mars 2000" (PDF).
  9. ^ "Cina Lawson Archives - African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO)". African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  10. ^ republicoftogo.com. "Un nouveau gouvernement au Togo". République Togolaise (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  11. ^ republicoftogo.com. "Le Togo se lance dans l'administration électronique". République Togolaise (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  12. ^ User, Super. "TOGOTOPNEWS - Wifi campus : la réalité d'une utilité inestimable qui se vit depuis trois mois". Retrieved 2018-10-19. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. ^ "Le Monde.fr - Actualité à la Une". Le Monde.fr (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  14. ^ "Télécoms : deux nouveaux fournisseurs d'accès à internet au Togo – JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  15. ^ "Internet : avec le lancement de Canalbox, la concurrence s'emballe au Togo – JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  16. ^ TOGO, MOOV. "Internet mobile haut débit : Moov Togo lance la 4G". Agence Ecofin (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  17. ^ "Le Togo lance les négociations pour passer à la 4G". La Tribune (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  18. ^ "SIGNATURE DE LICENCE GOUVERNEMENT TOGOLAIS TOGOCEL/MOOV". Television Togolaise (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-19.
  19. ^ "JOURNAL OFFICIEL DE LA REPUBLIQUE TOGOLAISE" (PDF). 17 December 2012. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  20. ^ "Togo - Transactions électroniques" (PDF). 22 June 2017. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  21. ^ dijit.net. "Togo embarks on wide-scale project to deploy fibre to 500 administrative centres | Balancing Act - Africa". www.balancingact-africa.com. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  22. ^ "Togo.gouv.tg/fr, l'officiel au bout du clic - L-FRII". L-FRII (in French). 2016-04-01. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  23. ^ "Bienvenue sur Portail Pays de la République Togolaise | Portail Pays de la République Togolaise". www.togo.tg (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  24. ^ "JOURNAL OFFICIEL DE LA REPUBLIQUE TOGOLAISE : LOIS ET REGLEMENTS". www.jo.gouv.tg (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  25. ^ "Service Public : | Le site de l'administration togolaise". www.service-public.gouv.tg (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  26. ^ "Les têtes d'affiches de Denise Epoté - Cina Lawson - Adjim Danngar - Augustin Vounoudougou". RFI (in French). 2017-02-19. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  27. ^ "Togo : « e-village » ou la technologie au service de l'Administration territoriale – JeuneAfrique.com". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
  28. ^ First, Togo. "Togo : Minister of digital economy launches new programme to revolutionize educational system". Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  29. ^ Rendez-vous, Africa (2018-07-03). "Le Togo veut intégrer les TIC dans l'éducation - AFRICA RENDEZ VOUS - L'Afrique, par des Africains". AFRICA RENDEZ VOUS - L'Afrique, par des Africains. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  30. ^ "L'Environnement numérique de Travail (ENT) rendu opérationnel au Lycée d'Enseignement Technique et Professionnel d'Adidogomé-Lomé - L-FRII". L-FRII (in French). 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-10-23.
  31. ^ "AfDB's e-wallet project in Togo – a rousing success with farmers". African Development Bank. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  32. ^ "Au Togo, un portemonnaie électronique, un projet de la BAD, remporte un franc succès auprès des agriculteurs". Banque africaine de développement (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  33. ^ "Togo: Accord avec BBOXX pour le déploiement de 300.000 systèmes solaires domestiques". Intellivoire (in French). 2017-07-19. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  34. ^ First, Togo. "Togo to launch a mobile bank account, requiring "no administrative procedures"". Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  35. ^ "Togo : Faure Gnassingbé ouvre son compte d'épargne mobile ECO CPP et lance le service - Digital Business Africa". Digital Business Africa (in French). 2018-05-23. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  36. ^ Eyram, Denise. "Cina Lawson: 'Faire des TIC un bien de grande consommation' - Togo Breaking News". www.togobreakingnews.info (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  37. ^ Ecofin, Agence. "Togo: Cina Lawson announces "restructuring" of Togo Telecom and Togocel". Agence Ecofin (in French). Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  38. ^ Rendez-vous, Africa (2017-07-14). "Togocel et Togotelecom deviennent Togocom - AFRICA RENDEZ VOUS - L'Afrique, par des Africains". AFRICA RENDEZ VOUS - L'Afrique, par des Africains. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
  39. ^ "Site de la République Togolaise, Bienvenue dans la communauté des jeunes leaders".
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