Togo First
ASKY to Launch West Africa’s First Boeing 737 Flight Simulator in 2026
ASKY Airlines, the pan-African carrier based in Lomé, will have its own Boeing 737 flight simulator in operation by June 2026. Construction of the facility began last week in the Togolese capital.
The simulator is designed to reproduce real flight conditions and is expected to be ready by the end of the first half of 2026. Once completed, it will enable the airline to train, certify and improve the proficiency of its pilots.
The installation will allow crews to train in a safe, controlled environment and sharpen their reactions and aircraft handling skills. Since ASKY operates a fleet of Boeing 737s on regional routes across West and Central Africa, having a simulator in Lomé will make it possible to train pilots locally rather than sending them to Europe or the Middle East, significantly reducing training and travel costs.
“This simulator is essential not only for training our own pilots but also for regional airlines that still have to travel abroad to train their crews. It will be the first of its kind in West Africa,” said ASKY CEO Esayas Woldemariam Hailu during a site visit.
The company said the project is being developed in close partnership with Togo’s National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC-Togo), which is providing technical support. The installation is expected to strengthen Togo’s role as a regional aviation hub and position Lomé as a leading training center for ASKY, its partner airlines, and its main strategic shareholder, Ethiopian Airlines.
Esaïe Edoh
Gnassingbé to U.K. Investors: ‘Investing in Togo Opens Both Francophone and Anglophone Markets’
Togo’s Council President, Faure Gnassingbé, opened the fourth UK-West and Central Francophone Africa (UK-WCAF) trade and investment forum in Lomé on Wednesday, Nov. 12. The event, held for the first time on African soil, brought together nearly 700 participants, including policymakers, investors and business leaders from about ten countries.
The two-day program features country presentations, thematic panels, roundtables, B2B meetings and networking sessions. Discussions are focusing on investment opportunities, trade partnerships and financing tools aimed at strengthening economic cooperation between the United Kingdom and Francophone West and Central Africa. Participants are also highlighting national economic priorities and recent reforms designed to make their markets more attractive.
“We are opening a new chapter today in the partnership between the United Kingdom and Francophone Africa. Investing in Togo means entering the growth corridor linking Lagos, Cotonou, Lomé, Accra and Abidjan, and gaining access to both Francophone and Anglophone markets,” Gnassingbé said, referring to a regional market of more than 450 million people.
For Togo, which has stepped up efforts in recent years to improve its business climate and attract foreign investment, the forum offers an opportunity to showcase its strengths in trade and logistics, including its deep-water port and competitive fiscal reforms.
A memorandum of understanding covering several key sectors, including infrastructure, agriculture and agro-industry, was signed at the opening session between the Togolese government and British economic actors.
Gnassingbé urged participants to pursue long-term partnerships. “We encourage our British partners to look to the future with us, to invest not only in traditional infrastructure but also in Africa’s new growth frontiers: the green economy, the local processing of critical raw materials, digital finance and creative industries,” he said.
Since its inception in 2022, the UK-WCAF forum has generated more than £1 billion in trade. The Lomé edition is expected to solidify Togo’s position as a key economic gateway between Francophone Africa and the Commonwealth.
R.E.D
Germany Commits €50.3mln in New Development Funding for Togo
Germany announced new financial commitments totaling €50.3 million for Togo following the German-Togolese intergovernmental negotiations held on November 11, and November 12 in Berlin, the two parties said.
These discussions, dedicated to bilateral development cooperation, brought together the Togolese delegation led by Bèguèdouwè Paneto, secretary general of the Ministry of Planning, and the German delegation represented by Dr. Bärbel Kofler, parliamentary state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
The new commitments include €17.5 million for technical cooperation and €32.8 million for financial cooperation. They will focus on agriculture and food system transformation, good governance and territorial development, as well as health, social protection, and demographic policy.
With these announcements, Germany’s total cooperation portfolio in Togo reaches €567.46 million, confirming Berlin as the country’s leading bilateral donor, the two delegations noted in a joint statement.
The talks also addressed cross-cutting issues related to administrative management, security, maintenance of German-financed infrastructure, and long-term cooperation prospects, in a context of increased support for Togo’s national priorities outlined in its 2030 roadmap.
Both parties welcomed the strength of a partnership marked in recent years by deeper political dialogue and Togo’s 2018 accession to the Compact with Africa initiative supported by Germany. A new multi-donor trust fund to strengthen reforms and investments within this framework was launched last October in Washington.
The next round of intergovernmental negotiations between Berlin and Lomé is scheduled for 2028 in the Togolese capital.
Togo Launches National Drive to Provide Birth Certificates to Schoolchildren
In Togo, the government launched on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, in Badja (Avé prefecture), a national campaign to issue birth certificates to schoolchildren, in partnership with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
The operation targets 5,000 children, who will receive an official civil status document across the national territory.
The campaign will unfold in two stages: the first consists of issuing the supplementary court rulings required for pupils without a birth certificate; the second involves transcribing these rulings into civil status registers to produce the final documents. Beneficiaries will receive their birth certificates directly, without administrative intermediaries.
According to Patchassi Kadanga, director of territorial administration and borders, between 22 % and 30 % of citizens do not obtain a birth certificate within the 45 days required by law. “Often, supplementary court rulings are not transcribed, which makes them unusable. This time, we want children to receive complete documents,” he said.
For the Togolese government, the project is part of the national policy for administrative and social inclusion, aiming to ensure every child has equitable access to education and public services.
The campaign will end on November 27, 2025.
Togo Receives 244 Tons of Local Food for School Feeding Under Bia Laafia
The Togolese government received on November 12 a shipment of 244 tons of local food products for public school canteens under the Bia Laafia Project (“Well-being of Children”).
The delivery includes 22 tons of smoked anchovies and 222 tons of enriched maize flour, produced by SITRAPAT, a company based in Tsévié.
Implemented in 202 public primary schools, the project aims to improve school nutrition and strengthen education quality in rural areas. It relies on local products to support national supply chains and promote the agricultural economy.
According to Badawi Pauline Chekpi, director of community development and chair of the interministerial committee on school canteens, this delivery “will ensure a sustainable food supply for beneficiary children in the schools supported by Catholic Relief Services.”
The Bia Laafia Project combines school feeding with efforts to strengthen teaching capacity.
“The ultimate goal is to improve students’ reading and writing skills,” said project coordinator Moussa Sangaré, adding that teachers, principals, and inspectors also receive training in coaching and supervision.
Financed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services and the Togolese government, the project covers the prefectures of Kéran, Oti-Sud, and Dankpen.
Kara to Host Second Togo–Benin Meeting on Strengthening Agribusiness Ties
The city of Kara in northern Togo will host the second regional meeting between the Togo Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo) and the Benin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Benin) from November 18 to 22, 2025. The event is part of the Regional Agricultural Market Integration Program (PRIMA).
The meeting aims to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries by promoting agricultural trade. It will bring together public decision-makers, entrepreneurs, institutional representatives, and farmer organizations around the theme “Intercommunity Market and Agricultural Enterprise Development: Strengthening the Competitiveness of Companies in Togo and Benin.”
Participants will exchange views on several topics related to agricultural development and cross-border trade facilitation. Various panels are scheduled from November 19 to 22, focusing on the promotion of local products, value chain development, and enhanced competitiveness for sector actors.
Alongside the discussions, a trade fair will be held on the esplanade of the Kara Congress Palace from November 18 to 22. It will showcase agricultural and agri-food products from both countries and serve as a platform for networking between Togolese and Beninese economic operators.
This initiative follows the first meeting held in December 2024 in Grand-Popo, Benin, where the two chambers laid the foundations for bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector. The Kara discussions are expected to deepen this momentum and identify new strategies to create an enabling environment for sustainable and inclusive development of family farming, a key sector in the economies of Togo and Benin.
Togo Raises CFA33bn on WAEMU Market, Above Its Target
Togo raised CFA33 billion on November 13 on the WAEMU public securities market through a simultaneous issue of Treasury Bonds (OAT) and Treasury Bills (BAT). The operation, initially targeting CFA30 billion, slightly exceeded its objective.
According to data published by Umoa-Titres, total bids reached CFA48.2 billion, representing a coverage rate of 160.86 %. Following the auctions, the Togolese Treasury retained CFA30 billion for the OATs issued with a three-year maturity at a fixed interest rate of 6.25 %, and CFA3 billion for the 346-day BATs.
This operation marks Togo’s second appearance on the regional financial market in the last quarter of 2025, a period during which financial authorities plan to raise CFA100 billion in total.
With this new issuance, the country’s cumulative fundraising since the start of the year now stands at CFA325 billion, or 97 % of the annual target set at CFA332 billion. The amount raised during the last quarter alone has reached CFA60.5 billion.
Togo Drafts Territorial Marketing Guide
- Togo is finalizing a national territorial marketing guide to strengthen the attractiveness of municipalities.
- The initiative, backed by Germany’s GIZ, aims to help local governments design strategies to attract investors.
- The guide will be validated by December 2025 before nationwide rollout.
Togo has launched the validation process for a national territorial marketing strategy guide designed to help municipalities attract investment and enhance their visibility. The event took place on Nov. 11, 2025, in Aného.
The Ministry of Local Development is leading the initiative with technical and financial support from the German development agency GIZ.
As public funding becomes scarcer and competition between territories intensifies, the government aims to provide local authorities with a structured framework to promote their assets. The guide will serve as a reference for developing strategies tailored to each municipality’s economic, cultural, environmental, and human potential.
Deputy Minister Koamy Gomado said, “Territorial marketing goes beyond communication; it aims to strengthen a region’s image, build investor confidence, and foster lasting partnerships around a shared identity.”
The drafting process follows a participatory approach involving municipalities already implementing marketing strategies and those in early planning stages. Authorities are gathering feedback and experiences from local actors to ensure the guide aligns with the realities of each community.
Development expert Dr. Sonhaye Kondi Napo said the document will “offer practical tools to enhance territorial competitiveness and structure local communication.”
The guide’s validation is expected in December 2025, after which it will be disseminated nationwide. The government views the project as a key step toward empowering municipalities to position themselves as dynamic players in Togo’s local and regional development.
This article was initially published in French by R.E.D
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
Togo and Benin Join Forces to Protect Mono River Basin
- Togo and Benin launched a joint process to develop a strategic plan for sustainable management of the Mono River Basin.
- The basin spans 24,300 km², supports over 3.5 million people, and faces threats from deforestation, soil degradation, and climate change.
- The process relies on a Cross-Border Diagnostic Analysis (ADT) to guide national and transboundary policies with pilot local projects.
Togo and Benin launched on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, a joint process to create a strategic plan for the sustainable management of the Mono River Basin. The initiative began at a workshop organized by the Mono Basin Authority (ABM) with support from the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and will run until Saturday, November 15.
The process uses a Cross-Border Diagnostic Analysis (ADT) to identify environmental, socio-economic, and climate threats affecting the basin. It aims to clarify the causes of these challenges and propose shared solutions. Authorities seek coordinated and equitable use of water resources while preserving biodiversity and protecting local populations.
The Mono River Basin covers roughly 24,300 km², with nearly 88% located in Togo. It sustains more than 3.5 million residents and supports critical sectors including agriculture, fishing, hydroelectric energy, and drinking water supply. The region faces growing pressures from deforestation, soil degradation, and climate change effects.
Nicolas Dadja Gnakpaou, Executive Director of ABM, said the ADT will produce a reference document to guide the development of a strategic action program, shaping both national and transboundary policies.
Apolline Bambara, an OSS expert, highlighted that the process, rooted in long-standing bilateral cooperation, “will transform challenges into concrete solutions through local pilot projects.”
This article was initially published in French by R.E.D
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
Togo Hosts Landmark UK–Francophone Africa Trade Forum
- The 4th UK–West and Central Francophone Africa Trade and Investment Forum opened in Lomé—the first time it has been held on African soil.
- Over 700 participants are attending to discuss infrastructure, SMEs, logistics, agribusiness, and energy transition.
- The forum has generated over £1 billion in trade since 2022, strengthening Togo’s role as a bridge between Francophone Africa and the Commonwealth.
Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, opened the 4th UK–West and Central Francophone Africa Trade and Investment Forum (UK–WCAF) in Lomé. It marks the first time the event—jointly organized by the Togolese government, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and UK Export Finance (UKEF)—takes place on the African continent.
The two-day forum gathers more than 700 participants from governments, private companies, and international financial institutions. Discussions focus on strengthening economic partnerships and fostering regional integration across sectors such as infrastructure financing, SME development, logistics, agribusiness, and the energy transition.
In his opening remarks, President Gnassingbé underscored Togo’s pivotal geographic and economic role in West Africa. “Investing in Togo means entering the growth corridor linking Lagos, Cotonou, Lomé, Accra, and Abidjan—and accessing both Francophone and Anglophone markets,” he said.
He called for stronger policy coordination and predictable investment frameworks. “To make integration a reality, we must harmonize regulations, facilitate trade, simplify procedures, and create predictable conditions for investors,” he added. “Administrative fluidity and regulatory transparency are now the invisible infrastructures of modern trade that our economies need.”
Since its launch in 2022, the UK–WCAF Forum has generated over £1 billion in trade. This year’s edition in Lomé aims to deepen economic cooperation and position Togo as a key commercial gateway between Francophone Africa and the Commonwealth.
This article was initially published in French by R.E.D
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum