The 9th edition of the International Film Festival of Togo (FIFTO) officially opened on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Lomé. Scheduled to run through April 18, the event features 33 films, including documentaries and fiction, from several countries.

This edition features a film competition under the theme: “Telling our realities: African cinema in local languages and everyday stories.” Films from Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Senegal, France and Togo will be judged by a jury and the public. A non-competitive section includes about ten films from China, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Niger and Togo.

Through this 9th edition, Togolese cultural authorities aim to provide a platform for discussion among filmmakers, cinephiles and festival-goers, to help drive the development of an authentic African film industry.

Beyond screenings, masterclasses are planned to encourage exchanges between film professionals and young enthusiasts. A co-production agreement between Togo and Senegal, the guest of honor, will also be signed during the festival.

For the Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Isaac Tchiakpé, “the seventh art is a tool for popular education, a means of transmitting the realities, struggles and values of a community, especially in societies where orality and imagery play a central role.”

Authorities say FIFTO aims to serve as a hub for exchange to foster sustainable collaboration between Togolese and international film professionals.

Esaïe Edoh

The municipality of Agoè-Nyivé 5 opened its second regular session of the year on Tuesday in Lomé. The 10-day session brings together councillors to address governance, administrative performance and oversight of local projects.

Discussions focus on several issues. Elected officials are reviewing staffing conditions and performance. They are also examining the citizen services office and draft administrative accounts. The aim is to assess administrative performance and identify corrective measures.

The session places strong emphasis on overseeing public investments. Field visits are scheduled to check progress on ongoing projects and assess their impact on residents.

"There are many stalled projects that the municipality needs to restart," Mayor Kossi Gbenyo Lamadokou said. He also stressed the need for strict oversight of construction sites. "The council will go into the field to ensure work meets standards," he said.

Beyond technical matters, the discussions are expected to lead to operational decisions. The aim is to improve living conditions for residents amid growing pressure on urban services and local infrastructure.

Established in 2017 as part of decentralization reforms, Agoè-Nyivé 5 is an expanding urban hub within Greater Lomé. It was formed from the former canton of Sanguéra and has a population of about 130,000 residents across 19 villages, covering 28 square kilometers.

Located along National Route 5 linking Lomé to Kpalimé, the municipality serves as a link between urban and rural areas. It also connects with several neighboring municipalities, including Golfe 5, Agoè-Nyivé 1, 2 and 4, as well as Zio 2 and Avé 2.

Economically, Agoè-Nyivé 5 has shifted from an agriculture-based economy focused on subsistence crops to a more diversified structure. Trade has expanded steadily, driven by population growth and rising commercial activity.

R.E.D.

Lomé is hosting the 18th annual review meeting of the Regional Program for Integrated Cotton Production in Africa (PR-PICA), running until April 17 and organized by Nouvelle Société Cotonnière du Togo (NSCT).

The meeting has brought together nearly 250 stakeholders from eight West and Central African countries to assess the 2025–2026 season, share research advances and identify practical ways to improve yields and farmer incomes.

Cotton production in Togo has faced pressure in recent years from climate change, pests and soil degradation. Yields have nonetheless improved, rising from around 800 kilograms to nearly one metric ton per hectare, according to authorities.

That progress reflects better access to inputs and improved soil mapping, helping farmers adapt cultivation techniques. However, those gains need to be sustained, as the sector continues to face significant challenges. Measures to support producers — including stabilizing the purchase price of seed cotton and fertilizers — have also helped revive farmer engagement.

Research and regional cooperation

PR-PICA serves as a coordination platform linking researchers, producers and industry stakeholders. The program aims to accelerate the rollout of innovations and harmonize responses to shared challenges across the subregion.

“These annual meetings help improve efficiency in cotton farming,” said Martin Drevon, director general of the NSCT. “The goal remains to achieve higher yields and boost producer incomes.”

Pest control remains a key concern. Since 2022, infestations of whiteflies and leafhoppers have caused losses of up to 50% in some countries.

The response includes introducing new pesticides and updating phytosanitary strategies. Producers have stressed the need to continuously adapt inputs. “We are waiting for more effective products to better control pests,” said Koussouwè Kouroufei, head of the National Federation of Cotton Producer Groups (FNGPC).

Upgrading production

Beyond crop protection, discussions have focused on improving seed varieties, soil fertility and climate adaptation. Researchers are working on seeds that are more resistant to drought and pests.

For stakeholders, the objective is not only to increase output but also to maintain the competitiveness of African cotton in a volatile global market while protecting rural incomes.

As the Lomé meeting draws to a close, participants are seeking practical recommendations that can be implemented as early as the next season. The conclusions are expected to be submitted to authorities and incorporated into national agricultural policies.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo plans to build 304 standalone water points (PEA) in 2026 as part of a national strategy to achieve universal access to safe drinking water by 2030. The programme will require an estimated investment of 4 billion CFA francs, according to the Ministry of Finance and Budget.

The new water points will be distributed across the country’s five regions, with priority given to Savanes. Savanes alone will account for 157 installations, more than half of the total.

Centrale and Kara will each receive 16 units. Plateaux will receive 95, while Maritime will receive 20.

This is part of several ongoing projects, including the Urban Water Security Project (PaSH-MUT), launched in October 2023 with World Bank support.

An emergency project is also underway to strengthen water supply in Mango and Dapaong, with financing of 4.7 billion CFA francs from the French Development Agency and the European Investment Bank.

The water sector has improved in recent years. National access to safe drinking water rose from 60% in 2020 to 72% in 2025, according to authorities. In rural areas, coverage has reached 77%, driven by the gradual expansion of basic water services.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo’s mobile wallet Mixx has joined the PI-SPI platform operated by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), enabling instant, interoperable transfers and payments across the eight-member West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).

Users can now send and receive money between mobile wallets, banks and microfinance institutions across the UEMOA, the company said. More than 50 institutions in the region are connected to the platform, including Ecobank, Orabank and Bank of Africa in Togo.

A user in Togo can, for example, transfer funds to a bank account in Côte d’Ivoire or pay a supplier in Burkina Faso in real time.

“Interoperability is a major step toward a truly connected financial ecosystem in West Africa,” said Catherine Savery, managing director of Mixx Togo. “By enabling seamless transfers between institutions and across borders, Mixx is helping to create new opportunities for individuals, entrepreneurs and businesses in the UEMOA.”

Push for interoperable payments

The move forms part of the BCEAO’s strategy to strengthen interoperability in financial services across the UEMOA. The World Bank says financial inclusion in sub-Saharan Africa remains below 60%, with wide disparities between countries.

In Togo, the rate rises to 89% when broader financial services are included. Mobile money has become central to financial access for many citizens. In this market, where Mixx competes with Moov Africa Togo, the company says it has more than 5 million users, 31,000 agents and 26,000 merchants.

Mixx Togo is a mobile financial services “super app” launched by the Yas Togo group, formerly Togocom. It allows users to turn a mobile phone into a digital wallet for everyday transactions.

The rollout also includes merchant payments via an interoperable QR code. Mixx, which holds an electronic money institution licence from the BCEAO, said the feature will let merchants accept payments from multiple platforms across the region.

Such infrastructure supports regional economic integration by facilitating trade and financial flows. The BCEAO launched PI-SPI to progressively connect all financial players in the zone.

The central bank has set a June 30, 2026 deadline for financial institutions to connect to the platform.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Space Forum Africa will return to Lomé from July 28 to 31, 2026, for its second edition. Held under the theme “Building Africa’s Space Future: Innovation, Defense and Sustainability,” the event will bring together governments, space agencies, investors, research centres and technology firms to discuss the development of space technologies on the continent.

The forum aims to build an ecosystem that is still nascent but expanding across Africa. Discussions will focus on the use of satellite and geospatial data in sectors such as agriculture, mining and urban planning.

Organised by Richard Folly of African Geospace, the forum also seeks to foster partnerships between African and international stakeholders, as investment in so-called New Space technologies continues to grow.

The event comes as space technologies are increasingly being applied to agriculture, resource management, urban planning and climate risk monitoring.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) is recruiting 17 rubber-tired gantry (RTG) crane operators to support cargo handling at the Port of Lomé.

Successful candidates will operate RTG cranes to handle containers safely in the terminal’s storage yards, including moving and positioning containers and coordinating with yard teams.

The hiring comes as LCT expands its operational capacity. In recent years, the terminal has invested in upgrades to improve port performance. In 2025, dredging work enabled the port to handle vessels of up to 19,000 TEUs. Additional equipment has been installed and infrastructure expanded to cope with rising traffic.

With more than 700 direct employees, LCT is a key operator in Togo’s port sector. Its activities support the Port of Lomé’s goal of becoming a logistics hub for transit and transshipment in West Africa.

Applicants must hold at least a high school diploma, be physically fit, able to work rotating shifts, and have a working knowledge of port safety procedures.

Applications must be submitted in person at LCT’s reception in a sealed envelope no later than April 15, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi