Lomé Recently Welcomed MSC Diletta, Biggest Container Ship to Dock in West Africa, Ever
Tuesday, 29 April 2025 14:25 
(Togo First) - The port of Lomé made history last week. On April 24, the MSC Diletta—stretching 400 meters long and 61 meters wide—became the largest container ship ever to dock in Togo or anywhere on the West African coast. This is not just a big ship. It’s a big deal for Togo’s future as a regional logistics powerhouse.
The Diletta’s journey started in China, then stopped in India, Singapore, and Ghana’s Tema port before reaching Lomé. Next up: Abidjan and Kribi. Until now, only 366-meter ships worked this route. Lomé had hosted a 400-meter ship earlier in 2024, but the Diletta, with the capacity to fill nearly 15,000 trucks, takes things to a new level.
“This is the culmination of years of work, with the support of the Togolese authorities. Today, we are showing that Lomé is capable of handling the world’s largest ships with the same rigour as the port hubs of Europe and Asia,” said Gregory Krief, Managing Director of MSC Togo.
The Diletta’s arrival was a full team effort—six pilots, four tugs, and smooth operations all around. Containers offloaded at Lomé aren’t just for Togo. Most are headed for Nigeria, Gabon, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. “Lomé is no longer a national port. It’s an integrated regional hub, connected to all the major terminals in the sub-region,” Krief said. “It is an essential link in our door-to-door network. We provide weekly connections with the main ports in the sub-region, including Tema, Cotonou, Douala, and Libreville.”
Last year, the Lomé Container Terminal (LCT)—a joint venture between TIL (MSC) and China Merchants—handled nearly 1.7 million TEUs, much of it transhipped to other countries. Thanks to deep waters and low congestion, Lomé is beating out rivals like Tema and Abidjan.
At full tilt, the terminal moves over 30 containers an hour, matching the pace of major Mediterranean ports. “Our low domestic demand is actually an advantage: it allows us to devote more space and agility to regional flows,” Krief said.
Lomé’s rise is not luck. In just 10 years, container traffic jumped from 500,000 to over 2 million TEUs, and total cargo now tops 30 million tonnes—triple what it was a decade ago. Richard Kangbeni, Minister for the maritime sector, sees the Diletta’s visit as proof of President Faure Gnassingbé’s vision. “Receiving the Diletta confirms the relevance of the vision of President Faure Gnassingbé, who has made the autonomous port of Lomé a pillar of the country’s economic and logistical development,” the official said.
Togo is betting on its geographic position to become the Sahel’s gateway, with corridors to Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. The government is modernizing infrastructure, digitizing customs, and wooing global shipping giants.
As for MSC, its management emphasized that they “will continue to strengthen our equipment and modernise our facilities to support the growth in regional demand.” More mega-ships like the Diletta are already scheduled to stop by Lomé’s port in the coming weeks.
This article was initially published in French by Fiacre E. Kakpo
Edited in English by Jason Ange 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.
