West Africa meets in Lomé to coordinate response to rising food insecurity

Agriculture

Thursday, 26 March 2026 16:10

West Africa meets in Lomé to coordinate response to rising food insecurity

(Togo First) - Lomé hosted a regional meeting on the food and nutrition situation starting Wednesday, March 25, 2026. The gathering brought together stakeholders from the regional system for the Prevention and Management of Food Crises (PREGEC) to assess the 2025-2026 agricultural season and update data on food insecurity in the region.

According to the latest analyses, more than 41.7 million people currently require food assistance. Without appropriate measures, this figure could rise to 52.7 million during the lean season between June and August, officials warned.

The meetings in Lomé are expected to validate the final results of the agro-pastoral campaign and strengthen regional coordination. Discussions also aim to guide responses by governments and partners in a context marked by multiple challenges.

“The situation remains concerning overall, despite a slight improvement,” said Traoré Sy Martial, coordinator of the food and nutrition security support programme at the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS). He cited the impact of insecurity, population displacement and inflation on living conditions.

The region hosts nearly 9 million displaced people, increasing pressure on food systems and humanitarian assistance.

Discussions also focus on improving early warning systems and implementing appropriate responses. “We are meeting today to review the final situation […] and update the figures,” the official added.

The meetings are scheduled to conclude on Friday, March 27, 2026, with recommendations aimed at strengthening public policy and improving food crisis management in a region facing persistent vulnerability.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.