Pan-African Congress Returns to Lomé After Multiple Delays

Politics

Wednesday, 10 September 2025 14:55

Pan-African Congress Returns to Lomé After Multiple Delays

(Togo First) - KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Historic gathering convenes December 8-12, first congress in eight years since Accra edition
• Diaspora engagement crisis addressed as AU seeks to bridge gap with "abandoned" Afro-descendants globally
• Global governance reform positions pan-Africanism as tool for equitable African representation in international institutions

The 9th Pan-African Congress will convene December 8-12 in Lomé after several postponements, Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey announced last week.

The continental summit will gather African leaders, politicians, academics, legal experts, and civil society representatives in the Togolese capital, alongside members of the African diaspora. Participants will focus on revitalizing pan-Africanism and defining Africa's role in reforming multilateral institutions.

"The need for a 9th Pan-African Congress in Lomé has imposed itself on Africa for several reasons," Dussey explained. "Among them, the need to put an end to the paradox between the African Union's clearly expressed desire to involve the diasporas more in the continent's development, and the feeling of abandonment felt by many Afro-descendants."

The gathering aims to position pan-Africanism as both an ideological foundation and a practical tool for addressing contemporary challenges. Delegates will also examine the urgent need for equitable reform of international institutions to ensure fairer African representation in global governance.

Eight years have passed since the last congress in Accra, and organizers view the Lomé meeting as a potential turning point. The diaspora, in particular, has been called upon to assume a driving role in building renewed African solidarity.

The congress represents a critical opportunity to bridge the gap between continental aspirations and diaspora engagement, while charting a path forward for African unity in an evolving global landscape.

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.