West African Countries Discuss Maritime Border Delimitation in Lomé

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Thursday, 23 October 2025 17:11

West African Countries Discuss Maritime Border Delimitation in Lomé

(Togo First) - A regional workshop on maritime border delimitation and the joint management of marine spaces in West Africa began in Lomé on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. Organized by the Togolese High Council for the Sea, in partnership with German Cooperation (GIZ) and the African Union's Border Programme (AUBP), the meeting brings together experts and representatives from the region’s coastal nations.

The goal is to establish a platform for sharing experiences on the challenges of maritime border delimitation and the sustainable management of shared marine areas. Participants aim to contribute to a comprehensive guide on maritime border delimitation and ocean governance. This document, currently under preparation, is intended to transform these sensitive zones from potential sources of tension into areas of cooperation, integration, and shared development.

Over four days, discussions will focus on the legal framework applicable to marine spaces, border delimitation procedures, and related technical aspects.

Stanislas Baba, Minister-Counsellor to the President’s Council for Maritime Affairs, described the initiative as addressing a continental urgency. "Africa has 39 coastal countries, but very few have delimited their maritime spaces. If we are not careful, the seas risk becoming major sources of conflict," he warned. Baba stressed the necessity to "talk, negotiate, and cooperate to avoid tensions."

Esaïe Edoh

REFORMS OVERVIEW

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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)

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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.

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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.