New dates set for 2026 Biashara Africa Forum

Economic governance

Friday, 24 April 2026 02:12

New dates set for 2026 Biashara Africa Forum

(Togo First) - The third edition of the Biashara Africa Forum will take place in Lomé from May 18 to 20, 2026, with Togolese authorities confirming the new dates on Wednesday, April 22, at a press conference. The event had initially been scheduled for October 2025 before being postponed to November.

The Lomé forum will bring together African and international investors looking to identify opportunities across key sectors in Togo and elsewhere on the continent. More than 1,500 participants from several African countries are expected in the capital.

Participants will include policymakers and private sector representatives, who will discuss intra-African trade and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This year’s forum will focus in particular on identifying investment opportunities and tackling barriers to access to African markets.

Throughout the event, businesses will have access to commercial insights, market entry data and regulatory information aimed at supporting expansion strategies and easing integration into continental markets.

Togolese Minister of Economy and Strategic Foresight Badanam Patoki said the program will include conferences led by public and private sector leaders, thematic panels on intra-African trade, as well as B2B meetings and networking sessions.

The forum will also feature a gala evening titled “Biashara Africa Night,” alongside exhibitions structured around an international pavilion and a national pavilion known as “Village Togo.”

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)

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.