Togo Entrepreneurs Can Apply for Tony Elumelu Programme With $5,000 Grants

Investments

Tuesday, 06 January 2026 11:13

Togo Entrepreneurs Can Apply for Tony Elumelu Programme With $5,000 Grants

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has opened applications for the 2026 edition until March 1.
Selected entrepreneurs can receive up to $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital.
The programme targets Togolese project leaders across all sectors, from idea stage to active businesses.

Young Togolese entrepreneurs and project leaders can once again apply to the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme 2026, with applications open until March 1 this year.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) leads the pan-African programme, which has supported the creation and consolidation of small businesses across the continent for several years. The initiative operates in an environment marked by high youth unemployment and a shortage of viable startups, including in Togo.

Specifically, the programme offers non-refundable seed capital of up to $5,000, combined with 12 weeks of intensive business management training. In addition, the programme provides personalized mentoring and access to an international network of investors and entrepreneurs. Togolese project leaders can apply regardless of sector, whether they are at the idea stage or already operating a business. The foundation delivers the training in French, English, Portuguese, and Arabic.

Moreover, the process includes candidate selection, training, business plan development, a pitching phase, and electronic transfer of funds. In this context, the programme allows applicants who do not receive funding to retain access to the training and apply again in future editions.

For Togo, where entrepreneurship represents a central lever for job creation and efforts to reduce unemployment, the programme offers an additional source of financing and capacity building. According to the World Bank, a large share of young workers in Africa holds precarious jobs, a trend that also affects the Togolese labor market.

This article was initially published in French by R.E.D

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

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.