Lomé was Africa’s 25th most attractive city for expatriates in 2023. The Togolese capital also ranked 5th in West Africa (against 6th in 2020) in Mercer’s Quality of Living City Ranking 2023. 

The ranking is based on 40 criteria grouped into 10 categories. The criteria include the political and social environment, the economic environment, the socio-cultural context, medical and health aspects, education and schools, public services and transport, urban infrastructure and leisure, consumer goods, housing, as well as the general environment of the city.

Lomé came ahead of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), Lagos (Nigeria), Abuja (Nigeria), Nouakchott (Mauritania), Bamako (Mali), Conakry (Guinea), Niamey (Niger) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), as well as metropolises such as Yaoundé, Douala, Dar es Salaam and Luanda.au niveau continental. 

In West Africa, only Dakar (Senegal), Accra (Ghana), Banjul (Gambia), and Cotonou (Benin) did better than the Togolese capital. At the continental level, the top 10 was dominated by Mauritian, Seychelles, South African, and Moroccan cities.

Lomé is also one of the most affordable cities in Africa. According to another assessment by Mercer, it is the second least expensive city in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). It is cheaper than Cotonou, Accra, Abidjan, Dakar, and Lagos, among others. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The World Food Program (WFP) has already raised CFA9 billion out of the CFA10 billion that Togo needs for its 2022-2026 food resilience strategy. This was disclosed last Tuesday by the WFP’s representative, Aboubacar Koisha. Koisha met Prime Minister Victoire Tomegah-Dogbe that day. 

Under its food resilience strategy, Lomé aims to support around 260,000 people facing food insecurity nationwide. 

A year ago, the country launched an emergency food support program in line with the strategy. The program covers the Savanes and Kara regions. 

The WFP and Togo also run, together, the Pro-SADI, a project that improves the country’s food systems to provide smallholder farmers with sustainable access to agricultural input. Another project they carry out is the integrated school feeding project. The latter covers Togo’s public primary schools and leverages local production. 

Both projects are funded by the European Union, the FAO, and the WFP. The three partners backed them with CFA6 billion. 

In the past three years, according to its country representative, the WFP, through various projects, has helped around 600,000 Togolese people in difficult conditions.

Esaïe Edoh

Robert Dussey represented Togo at the Italy-Africa Summit held in Rome on January 28 and 29. The Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs attended the forum alongside several heads of state, government leaders, and senior executives from international institutions. The summit’s goal was to bolster cooperation between Italy and Africa.

During the event, the Italian side presented its strategic vision to improve its relationship with the African continent. The plan is dubbed "Plan Mattei" in homage to the founder of energy giant ENI. It advocates cooperation geared towards the development of natural resources in Africa.

At the recent Summit, Giorgia Meloni, President of the Italian Council, stressed the importance of the Africa-Italy cooperation. According to her, this relationship should be equal and mutual, without any form of paternalism. 

For his part, Robert Dussey lauded the event’s organization and invited Italy to reinforce its cooperation with Togo. He also invited Italian investors to come explore the opportunities Togo offers. “You will be most welcome in Togo, a land of opportunities and success for your business,” he declared.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo plans to spend CFA84 billion on road development projects this year. This is 98% of the forecast budget of the Ministry of Public Works (MTP), i.e. 85 billion FCFA, under the 2024 finance bill.

The country will use part of the money to asphalt 180 km of roads, according to the Ministry of Public Works. Another part will serve to develop and asphalt around 206 km of roads. According to the Ministry, “the projects could begin in 2024 and continue in 2025 and beyond.”

The projects announced align with the government’s ambition to asphalt over 11,700 km of roads nationwide. This ambition aims to fluidify the road traffic and make Togo a logistics hub, a reference business center, and a major corridor to reach neighboring landlocked countries.

Esaïe Edoh

At the launch of the Togo Bar Association, held last week, the Minister of Justice of Togo, Mipamb Nahm-Tchougli, met with the country’s lawyers. The official, on the occasion, urged the lawyers to play their part in attracting investors.

According to Mipamb Nahm-Tchougli, justice is one of the fundamental pillars of a country's economic development. He argues “that an investor or entrepreneur has no safety in an uncertain judicial environment, and if he comes up against a corrupt, biased and ineffective justice.”

The Minister called on Togolese lawyers to help the country become a business hub and growth pole.

“You understand well that it is not a discredited justice system that we need, and lawyers must be the sentinels of a justice system that protects, accompanies prosperity, and guarantees the elementary rights of citizens,” Nahm-Tchougli told the group of 154 lawyers present.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo successfully carried out its first two issues on the regional money market, the WAEMU Securities Stock. The country just launched its third issue with a target of CFA30 billion. The operation closes next Friday, February 2. 

The issue is a dual issue of fungible treasury bills and bonds (BATs and OATs in French). 

The first securities, the BATs have a par value of CFA1 million. They mature over 364 days and have multiple interest rates. The second securities, the OATs, have a par value of CFA10.000, mature over five years, and have an interest rate of 6.4%. 

According to the operation’s tender notice, the Togolese treasury eyes CFA15 billion via the BATs and the same amount via the OATs. 

Togo will pump the proceeds into its 2024 budget, which totals CFA2,179 billion, expenditures and revenues. So far this year, the country has raised CFA52 billion on the regional market.

Esaïe Edoh

Dutch group Van Vliet Automotive has moved its Togolese subsidiary to the Industrial Platform of Adetikope. The company will sell and maintain its vehicles from there. 

The subsidiary, Van Vliet Automotive Togo, occupies 9,000 m². It sells, maintains, and repairs MAN and Volkswagen trucks, buses, tractors, and semi-trailers. It also sells original spare parts and accessories.

Van Vliet’s arrival at the PIA results from a lease agreement that both sides sealed in March 2022. “This official installation attests to Van Vliet's commitment to get modern and suitable facilities, to better please its customers,” commented the PIA’s management.

Van Vliet has been active in Togo since 2017. It collaborates with many local transport companies, including the Société de transport de Lomé (SOTRAL).

Esaïe Edoh

Togo will spend CFA2 billion this year to revamp its tourism industry. That is around 58% of the annual budget of the Ministry of Tourism.

One of the key projects in which the money will be invested is a digital platform for hotel booking and big events. The Ministry of Tourism steers the project with the Ministry of Digital Economy. The project is set for completion this year. 

Part of the CFA2 billion will be used to keep rehabilitating the country’s touristic sites. For example, the funds will accelerate the construction of the Kamina history museum (located 20 km from Atakpamé) which began in mid-2023.

The ongoing hotel complex and reforestation projects on the Koutammakou cultural heritage site should also speed up.

Two years ago, Togo received around a million visitors, almost the same as in 2021 when the country received 983,969 visitors, earning CFA25 billion in tourism revenues. In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of visitors was around 480,000 and tourism revenues stood at CFA19 billion. 

Esaïe Edoh

The European Union (EU) will support Togo’s budget with a CFA13.44 billion financing. This will add to another CFA10 billion recently disbursed to back the country’s 2023 budget. 

In a statement dated January 22, 2024, the EU noted that the funds will support reforms set under the Togo 2025 Roadmap–especially reforms that foster decentralization, sustainable agribusiness, and access to social services for vulnerable communities. 

"This budgetary support from the European Union illustrates the quality of the partnership and the existing trust between the Togolese Government and the European Union and its Member States, as we maintain a permanent dialogue in the Team Europe format in Lomé," said Tasso Vilallonga, EU Ambassador to Togo.

In an interview with Togo Breaking News, Villalonga noted that “the European Union’s  budgetary support to Togo is a donation, not a loan, and it is based, of course, on trust in the partner country's public finance management."

However, the effective disbursement of this support is subject to compliance with certain conditions discussed between the two partners, notably the pursuit of certain reforms decided jointly. According to the same source, this agreement is part of the continuity of the "in-depth and ongoing dialogue" with the Togolese government, especially the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Togo secured over CFA95 billion from the EU in 2021-2024. Out of this amount, nearly CFA24 billion was disbursed to support the budget in 2023-2024. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi