Ecobank Togo profit falls 9.9% in 2025 despite record revenue, higher lending

Banking

Wednesday, 06 May 2026 14:32

Ecobank Togo profit falls 9.9% in 2025 despite record revenue, higher lending

(Togo First) - Ecobank Togo reported record banking revenue for 2025 and double-digit loan growth, but higher taxes and a regulatory fine weighed on profit. The board nonetheless proposed a sharply higher dividend.

The Togolese subsidiary of pan-African group Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) posted banking revenue of 45.7 billion CFA francs (69.7 million euros) in 2025, up 9.9% year-on-year, according to its annual report presented last week at the annual general meeting in Lomé. Net profit fell 9.5% to 14.3 billion CFA francs (21.8 million euros).

The bank said the drop in profit reflected a higher tax charge in 2025, unlike in 2024, when it benefited from a one-off tax gain following an audit by the Togolese Revenue Authority (OTR).

On the commercial side, the bank's performance was robust. Net loans to customers rose 16.8% to 373 billion CFA francs (568 million euros), while deposits grew 12.1% to 588.8 billion CFA francs (898 million euros). Total assets reached 724.2 billion CFA francs (1.1 billion euros), up 5%.

"The Togolese economy demonstrated resilience in 2025," board chairwoman Séna Elda Afiwa Kpotsra wrote in her message to shareholders dated April 29, 2026, adding that banking activity had "remained strong in a demanding regulatory and competitive environment."

Despite the fall in net profit, the board proposed a dividend of 40,000 CFA francs per share, up 60% from the 25,000 CFA francs paid for 2024, representing a total payout of 8 billion CFA francs (12.2 million euros).

The year was also marked by a 200-million-CFA-franc (305,000 euros) regulatory fine imposed by the WAEMU Banking Commission following a thematic review of the bank's external financial transactions. Ecobank Togo said it had launched a corrective action plan in response.

Separately, the bank said it had been named "Best Bank in Togo 2025" by U.S. magazine Global Finance as part of its annual World's Best Banks Awards.

The bank's headcount remained stable at 335 employees, operating across 18 branches and 86 ATMs nationwide.

The BCEAO cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 3.25% in June 2025, then again to 3.00% in March 2026. The bank said it expected the monetary easing to have a favorable effect on its refinancing conditions this year.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

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.