21st Lomé International Fair scheduled for Nov. 27-Dec. 13, 2026

Economic governance

Wednesday, 13 May 2026 15:43

21st Lomé International Fair scheduled for Nov. 27-Dec. 13, 2026

(Togo First) - Togo's 21st Lomé International Fair (FIL) will be held from Nov. 27 to Dec. 13, 2026. The dates were announced on Tuesday by the management of the Togolese Exhibition and Trade Center (CETEF), which also launched the event's promotion campaign.

The FIL has become the country's main economic platform and serves as a regional hub for business and investment. The 2026 edition will be held under the theme "Lomé, Hub of Trade and Investment in Africa."

Following a strong 2025 edition that drew more than 1,000 exhibitors, 813,000 visitors, over 800 business meetings and nearly 200 signed contracts, organizers said they aim to further strengthen the event's appeal.

"We have progressively built a new ambition: to make CETEF a permanent space for economic promotion, showcasing Togolese know-how, professional networking, culture and opportunity. And this evolution is already visible," said Alexandre de Souza, director general of CETEF.

Several events are scheduled ahead of the fair to boost economic activity across the country. The 7th edition of the Made in Togo Fair, a showcase for locally made products and domestic consumption, will be held from July 3 to 14, 2026.

A Health and Wellness Expo is also planned for June 23 to 27, 2026. Focused on prevention, medical innovation and well-being, the event aims to bring together sector stakeholders around current health challenges.

Regional editions of the Made in Togo Fair will be organized in Sokodé in May and in Aného in October. According to organizers, these initiatives are intended to boost local business activity and connect CETEF more directly with producers, artisans and entrepreneurs.

Esaïe Edoh

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)

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GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

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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)

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PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

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