Togo, Team Europe launch partnership to turn protected areas into drivers of local development

Economic governance

Friday, 05 June 2026 12:28

Togo, Team Europe launch partnership to turn protected areas into drivers of local development

(Togo First) - Togo and Team Europe, comprising the European Union and Luxembourg, on Wednesday launched a five-year partnership in Sokodé aimed at strengthening protected-area management and promoting an inclusive, resilient green economy.

The initiative seeks to combine environmental conservation with local economic development and is structured around five complementary components.

The first focuses on strengthening political and technical dialogue between Togo, the European Union and Luxembourg on protected-area management and climate change. The second aims to improve the management and monitoring of protected areas through structural investments and ecosystem restoration activities.

The third component is dedicated to climate change adaptation through ecosystem-based solutions, including the restoration of degraded land, reforestation and the promotion of agroecological practices.

The fourth seeks to develop an inclusive green economy by supporting sustainable value chains linked to ecotourism, community forestry and green jobs. The fifth aims to strengthen local governance by increasing the involvement of local authorities in waste management and green economy initiatives.

Through the partnership, Togolese authorities and their European partners hope to ensure that protected areas remain ecologically intact while contributing to local economic development.

"Protected areas are not tents set up for sleeping," Environment and Forest Resources Minister Dodzi Kokoroko said, arguing that conservation areas should also serve as drivers of local development.

"Protecting biodiversity amounts to creating a genuine accelerator for local development, particularly through ecotourism and the creation of green jobs," he added.

Team Europe reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside Togo in pursuit of three goals: preserving unique biodiversity, mitigating the effects of climate change and creating sustainable green jobs for young people and local communities.

As part of the partnership, vehicles and motorcycles were handed over to agencies responsible for managing protected areas to strengthen efforts against poaching and other threats to conservation areas. The parties did not disclose the overall cost of the initiative.

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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.