Togo First
Togo fisheries output seen at 33,977 tons in 2026, down 6%
Togo’s fisheries output is projected to reach 33,977 metric tons by end-2026, according to the Finance Ministry’s 2026 budget.
The Maritime and Plateaux regions are expected to account for 32,550 tons, or 96% of national output. The ministry attributed the large share to favorable natural conditions, including the Mono River in Plateaux and sea access in Maritime, as well as existing infrastructure, including a fishing port.
The projection represents a decline of more than 6% from the 36,251 tons recorded in 2025. No official explanation has been provided for the expected drop.
The government plans to continue implementing its five-year fisheries development plan through 2028. The program aims to improve technical capacity and sector organization.
Measures include training for sector stakeholders, support for fisheries research, and backing for the interprofessional fishery council (Conseil interprofessionnel de la filière poisson). Launched in 2024, the plan has an estimated total cost of 20 billion CFA francs.
Annual fish demand in Togo exceeds 100,000 tons, with domestic production covering only about 30% of national needs.
Esaïe Edoh
DR Congo lobbies Togo to back its candidate in OIF leadership race
The Democratic Republic of Congo has asked for Togo’s support for its candidate for the next Secretary-General of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF), ahead of a November election.
The request was formally made in Lomé on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, to Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo.
Kinshasa is urging Togo to back Congolese candidate Juliana Amato Lumumba against Rwanda’s Louise Mushikiwabo. “We are therefore seeking the support of Togo, a close partner with which we have longstanding ties,” said Crispin Mbadu Phanzu, Congo’s minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Francophonie.
Juliana Amato Lumumba, who was part of the delegation, outlined her vision for a more inclusive Francophonie to Gnassingbé. She also presented the projects Congo intends to champion to strengthen the organisation’s influence.
The OIF Secretary-General is elected to a four-year term by member states’ heads of state and government.
Togo medical council lists 940 registered doctors, up from 631 in 2024
Togo’s National Medical Council (ONMT) on Tuesday published an updated list of registered doctors, showing 940 practitioners across various specialties in the country’s health facilities. The figure is up from 631 in 2024 and 886 in 2025.
The update comes amid persistent illegal practices and cases of unlicensed individuals practicing medicine. Through the register, the council aims to inform the public and strengthen accountability among practitioners.
“This register is not just a directory. It is a safeguard. For citizens, it distinguishes qualified practitioners from impostors. There can be no healthcare for all without medicine practiced by legitimate professionals,” said Assoti Essowè, chair of the ONMT’s communications committee.
Council president Beketi Anthony said registration with the council, along with compliance with the code of medical ethics, is required to practice medicine. Authorities have already taken action, including investigations and prosecutions of illegal practitioners.
Despite the increase, the number of registered doctors remains below actual needs. The ONMT’s executive bureau reports a total of 1,728 active physicians, a figure still insufficient to meet the country’s healthcare needs.
The council estimates that around 8,500 doctors would be needed to meet international standards, particularly the World Health Organization’s benchmark of one doctor per 1,000 people.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo business registrations rebound after two years of decline
A total of 4,357 new companies were registered in Togo between January 1 and March 31, 2026, according to data from the Center for Business Formalities (CFE) seen by Togo First.
The number of registrations rose 2.2% compared with the same period in 2025, when 4,262 companies were created. The increase marks a rebound after a 5% year-on-year decline between the first quarters of 2024 and 2025.
Registrations reached 1,406 in January, 1,356 in February and 1,595 in March, pointing to a pickup in business formation toward the end of the quarter.
Togolese nationals continued to dominate entrepreneurial activity. Of the total, 3,457 companies were created by Togolese citizens, accounting for nearly 80%, compared with 900 by foreign nationals. Women owned 1,254 of the new companies, or about 29%.
The recovery follows two consecutive years of decline. In 2025, 14,202 companies were registered, down 4.8% from 14,919 in 2024. That drop came after a sharper contraction of 13% in 2024.
Authorities are continuing efforts to improve the business climate, including reducing the time and cost of starting a business and digitising administrative processes. They have also introduced incentives to support entrepreneurship.
Esaïe Edoh
In Lomé, experts explore communication as a lever for climate action
An international scientific symposium on climate change and environmental communication opened on Tuesday at the University of Lomé.
Organized by the Center for Studies and Research on Organizations, Communication and Education (CEROCE) and the Center for Research on Climate Change (CRCC), the three-day event focuses on applied communication for forest landscape restoration and climate justice in Africa.
The symposium brings together experts, researchers, students and policymakers. It aims to identify communication strategies to support environmental policies and drive behavioral change.
For the chairman of the organizing committee, Dr. Gnane Napo, the issue is both urgent and significant. “Any initiative for change requires people to change their attitudes. This cannot happen without effective communication,” he said.
Discussions cover the role of the media, digital innovation and the challenges of climate disinformation. Sessions also address local practices, environmental governance and institutional approaches, based on a programme organized around three main themes.
The event is also intended to contribute to public policy. Participants are examining the effectiveness of awareness campaigns, the adoption of reforms by communities and the integration of local knowledge.
At the opening ceremony, a representative of the higher education ministry highlighted the strategic role of communication. “Environmental communication is now fully recognized as a pillar of climate governance,” said Gameti Amah Djifa, speaking on behalf of the ministry.
Panels, round tables and scientific presentations make up the programme, with recommendations expected for public and private sector stakeholders and civil society.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo plans supplementary health cover to strengthen universal insurance
Togolese health authorities are considering the introduction of supplementary health insurance to complement the country's Universal Health Insurance scheme (AMU).
A training seminar bringing together insurers, mutual funds and management bodies opened in Lomé on Tuesday to prepare the rollout of the new framework.
The initiative aims to fill gaps in the AMU's basic benefits package, in place since January 2024.
"Supplementary insurance has a decisive role to play in covering services not included in the basic package," said Dissaliba Winga, secretary general at the Ministry of Health.
Technical and financial challenges
The seminar includes sessions on product design, pricing, governance and risk management, with the aim of ensuring the financial and operational viability of future schemes.
Trainer Saâd Taoujni said the challenges go beyond technical considerations. Not all medical procedures are covered, he explained, underscoring the need for a tailored complementary mechanism. "Some services are not covered, and that is the case everywhere," he said.
Ensuring the system's sustainability remains a key concern. Discussions are focusing on contribution levels, fraud risks and households' ability to pay.
"Can household purchasing power sustain high contribution levels?" Taoujni asked.
Beyond the training, authorities expect the seminar to produce practical recommendations to help develop this segment of the market and ensure coordination between public insurance and private providers. The objective is to expand coverage while keeping costs and risks under control.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo Reviews BOAD Projects as New Regional Program Is Launched
The West African Development Bank (BOAD) has mobilized more than 1,100 billion CFA francs for Togo since 1973, accounting for over 10% of its total commitments across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). The funding spans key sectors including infrastructure, energy, agriculture and food security.
These figures are central to a four-day portfolio review that opened on Tuesday, April 7, in Lomé, bringing together officials to assess the performance of BOAD-funded investments and identify implementation bottlenecks.
The review comes at a time of transition, as BOAD’s “Djoliba 2021–2025” strategy nears completion and a new five-year program is launched, backed by a regional envelope of 6,500 billion CFA francs.
Over the week, participants will assess the implementation status of ongoing projects, review those yet to be launched and propose corrective measures to speed up execution and improve financing efficiency.
BOAD Deputy Director General Ourèye Sakho Eklo highlighted the importance of the exercise. “This review focuses on the implementation status of BOAD-financed public and private projects in Togo,” she said, stressing the need to identify constraints.
For the Togolese government, the priority is to translate funding into tangible outcomes, said Akou Mawussé Adetou Afidenyigba, a representative of the Ministry of Finance. “This review mission provides an opportunity not only to take stock, but also to jointly define a roadmap to move faster, further and more effectively,” she said.
The aim of the four-day review, she added, is to “turn financing into results, and results into sustainable development for the Togolese people.”
The meeting is expected to produce a joint roadmap to guide investments toward priority sectors while strengthening their impact on the economy.
R.E.D
Togo to distribute solar kits to 100,500 households under CFA2.4 bln plan
Togo is advancing its universal electricity access policy, aiming for full access by 2030 through a series of government initiatives, including distributing solar kits to households, prioritising vulnerable populations.
According to the Ministry of Finance and Budget, which disclosed the information in its 2026 budget, 2.4 billion CFA francs has been allocated this year for the programme. The funds will be used to provide solar kits to about 100,500 households nationwide.
Solar kits typically include photovoltaic panels, batteries, cables, lighting and basic appliances. The programme targets communities far from the national grid to expand electricity access.
In 2026, distribution is planned as follows: 30,000 households in Plateaux, 23,000 in Kara, 16,000 each in Maritime and Centrale, and 15,500 in Savanes.
Beyond improving access to electricity, the kits are expected to improve living conditions and support small-scale economic activity. The programme may be supported by technical and financial partners.
Esaïe Edoh
Ogou 1 adopts formal waste management and sanitation policy
The municipality of Ogou 1 has adopted a formal waste management and sanitation policy, joining a growing number of local governments in Togo to do so. Located in the Plateaux region, the commune began implementing the framework last week.
The initiative is part of the Waste Management in Togo project (GEDEC), implemented by Expertise France. In Ogou 1, the programme seeks to improve sanitation and urban cleanliness through measures aimed at strengthening waste management practices.
Several measures are planned to ensure effective and sustainable waste management, with the involvement of local stakeholders. The framework covers both solid and liquid waste and sets out a schedule for pre-collection operations.
An integrated system covering the entire waste management chain, from pre-collection to final treatment, is also being rolled out. Authorities have launched a subscription drive for pre-collection services to encourage household uptake.
Funded by the European Union with €4.2 million (about CFA2.7 billion), the GEDEC project is already active in the communes of Zio 1, Tchaoudjo 1, Kozah 1 and Tône 1 under its pilot phase. It targets more than 750,000 residents across the five beneficiary communes.
Esaïe Edoh
African lawmakers meet in Lomé for APF regional conference
Lomé is hosting the 17th Conference of Speakers of Assemblies and Section Heads of the Africa Region of the Parliamentary Assembly of La Francophonie (APF) from April 7 to 9, 2026.
The meeting is being held as the Togolese National Assembly opens its first ordinary session, chaired by Assembly President Prof. Komi Sélom Klassou.
Several African parliamentary delegations have already arrived in the capital. Officials from Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal and the Central African Republic were welcomed by the Assembly president. Delegations from Ghana, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon and Cameroon are also attending.
The APF brings together nearly 90 parliaments and institutions and provides a platform for cooperation among French-speaking legislators on governance, democracy and development. Its Africa Region, which includes around 40 countries, is one of its main regional blocs.
Talks in Lomé will focus on strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation and reinforcing democratic institutions. They will also help prepare for upcoming meetings, including the APF General Assembly scheduled in Dakar.
R.E.D.