Togo Launches New Diplomatic Year with Call for African Autonomy

Politics

Friday, 05 September 2025 16:39

Togo Launches New Diplomatic Year with Call for African Autonomy

Highlights

• Togo opens new diplomatic year under the theme of “Africa’s strategic autonomy”
• FM Robert Dussey urges the continent to define relations on its own terms amid global rivalries
• Roadmap for economic diplomacy validated to align diplomacy with national development

Togo’s Foreign Minister Robert Dussey opened the country’s new diplomatic year this Wednesday, September 3, with a call for Africa to chart its own course in global affairs, stressing the need for strategic autonomy in the face of intensifying geopolitical rivalries.

Speaking at a ceremony in Lomé under the theme “New geopolitical rivalries and Africa’s strategic autonomy”, Dussey told diplomats, academics, civil society representatives, and political leaders that Africa’s stability and development hinge on its capacity to act independently.

The keynote address was delivered by Abderaman Koulamallah, former Chadian Foreign Minister, who said Africa is now at the center of competing global interests. He noted that young, connected populations are pressing for greater sovereignty, citing political shifts in the Sahel, while new actors such as Turkey, the UAE, Qatar, India, and Brazil expand investments in Africa’s lithium, uranium, and other strategic resources.

Koulamallah urged African states to devote 5% of GDP to education and 1% to research to prepare their youth for the technological and digital age.

Beyond the geopolitical debate, Togo is also moving to make diplomacy an economic tool. In July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs validated a roadmap for economic diplomacy, aimed at better coordinating embassies, the diaspora, and partners to advance Togo’s economic interests abroad.

Authorities say the strategy is designed to turn diplomacy into a direct lever of national development.

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.