AFD Funding, Trade and Investment: The Pillars of France-Togo Cooperation

Investments

Monday, 26 January 2026 11:44

AFD Funding, Trade and Investment: The Pillars of France-Togo Cooperation

(Togo First) - Economic and financial cooperation between Togo and France remains strong, French officials said on Friday, Jan. 23, at a press briefing in Lomé.

The briefing was attended by France’s ambassador to Togo, Augustin Favereau, and Benjamin Neumann, the new director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in the country.

The partnership is underpinned by AFD funding as well as trade and investment ties. According to figures released, AFD, France’s main development finance agency in Africa, has invested more than 450 million euros in Togo, including around 80 million euros in grants. The financing has been channelled into 18 projects across the country.

AFD’s portfolio in Togo

AFD’s portfolio in Togo is made up mainly of concessional loans, Neumann said. New commitments average around 40 million euros a year.

The funding is directed toward projects prioritised by Togolese authorities, particularly in water and sanitation, agriculture and energy.

AFD said the financing aims to expand access to essential public services while supporting structural investment in key sectors of the economy. Grants, which now represent a smaller share of the portfolio, are used mainly for feasibility studies, technical assistance and projects with a strong social component, the official said.

They also help prepare larger investment programmes and support institutional reforms.

Franco-Togolese cooperation

Franco-Togolese cooperation has previously been discussed at the highest level. “Togo displays an economic trajectory that offers many opportunities and I am truly eager to strengthen the economic partnership with France,” President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé said after a working lunch at the Élysée Palace on April 9, 2021.

He said at the time that both sides wanted to consolidate the bilateral relationship.

Economic cooperation between Togo and France goes beyond development financing and is also built on long-standing trade ties and investment, said Jérôme Froute, the economic counsellor at the French Embassy in Togo.

He said the momentum fits into a “renewed economic partnership” promoted by President Emmanuel Macron in his annual address to ambassadors on Jan. 8, 2026, at the Élysée Palace. In that speech, Macron called for a stronger push by French companies in Africa, urging increased investment and deeper trade ties amid intense competition.

According to the latest available data, trade between Togo and France reached nearly 268 million euros, or around 176 billion CFA francs, in 2023.

With 225 million euros, or about 148 billion CFA francs, in exports to Togo, France held a market share of 9.3%, making it the country’s second-largest supplier behind China at 19.6% and ahead of India at 8.2%.

Around 40 French company subsidiaries operating in Togo posted combined revenue of more than 570 million euros, more than one billion dollars, or roughly 370 billion CFA francs, and employed more than 3,000 people, excluding micro, small and medium-sized service providers.

The companies operate across several sectors, including logistics, construction, energy, agribusiness and services.

French exports to Togo have remained strong, but French purchases of Togolese products stood at around 42.9 million euros, or 28 billion CFA francs, in 2023. Imports were mainly agricultural goods, particularly cereals, legumes and oilseeds. France ranked as Togo’s sixth-largest customer, with an estimated market share of 6.5%.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

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.