Togo Steps Up Air Pollution Fight with New Impact Study

Health

Sunday, 21 June 2026 04:44

Togo Steps Up Air Pollution Fight with New Impact Study

(Togo First) - Stakeholders from the environmental sector met in Lomé on Thursday, June 18, 2026, to review a study on the health, climate and economic impacts of air pollution in the Lomé metropolitan area and the Maritime Region. Prepared under the Air Quality Project in Togo (PQAT), the document is expected to serve as a reference for the development of future public policies.

The initiative comes as several recent studies have highlighted deteriorating air quality in the Togolese capital. According to data cited by the Ministry of Environment, nearly 1.4 million people were exposed between 2019 and 2021 to pollution levels four to five times higher than the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). Respiratory infections were among the most common reasons people sought medical care in the Lomé metropolitan area during that period.

The study identifies several major sources of air pollution, including road transport, the burning of wood and charcoal, open-air waste burning and certain industrial activities. According to the WHO, air pollution causes about 6.7 million premature deaths worldwide each year.

Togo launched the Air Quality Project (PQAT) in 2025, with funding estimated at 4 billion CFA francs over five years. The program includes the installation of monitoring stations in several cities across the country, data collection and the development of decision-support tools.

Momentum for the initiative increased in May with the validation of a national air quality framework, which now sets monitoring standards for the main atmospheric pollutants. For the government, investments in clean transport, renewable energy, cleaner cooking technologies and improved waste management are expected to provide two key benefits: reducing health risks while helping the country meet its climate objectives.

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.