On June 27, 2023, the US Ambassador to Togo, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, announced two new investments in Togo during the early celebrations of the 247th anniversary of US independence. 

The first investment-$3 million-will help local organizations fight food insecurity in northern Togo. "We are pleased to announce the provision of three million dollars, to help combat food insecurity in northern Togo," Fitzsimmons declared.

The second investment-$1 million-will finance the Togolese Federation of Disabled Persons' Associations. “Our goal is to enhance the resilience of young people and women with disabilities, and facilitate their adaptation to climate change,” the US official said.

Besides the announcements, Ambassador Fitzsimmons highlighted strong partnerships between the US and Togolese armed forces. She also announced that Togo has been included in the US presidential initiative against malaria since April–an initiative that will support Togo's most vulnerable citizens via a $12 million financing package.

Additionally, the ambassador stated that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is set to provide Togo with a funding program to boost the digital and electricity sectors, worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Fitzsimmons concluded by revealing that several US universities are eager to collaborate with Togolese higher education institutions, reflecting the ongoing commitment of the US towards Togo. 

Some of the Togolese officials present during the announcement included Cina Lawson, Minister of the Digital Economy and Transformation, Komla Dodzi Kokoroko, Minister of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education and Handicrafts, and Myriam Dossou, Minister of Grassroots Development, Youth, and Youth Employment.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

The Dry Port of Adétikopé received 7,339 containers and 6,364 trucks in 2022. Out of these, 6,607 containers and 5,058 trucks left the platform. 

The dry port is a strategic point for transferring goods to landlocked countries in the Hinterland, such as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali. It serves as a significant node to reduce the load on the Autonomous Port of Lomé and potentially enhance its traffic fluidity.

According to the data obtained by Togo First, the intermodal platform could be a key player in supporting Togo's vision of becoming a significant regional logistics hub.

Located 27 km north of Lomé within the Adétikopé Industrial Platform, the dry port is connected to a parking area reserved for transport vehicles arriving and departing from the Autonomous Port of Lomé, customs borders, and Togo's economic zones.

The Dry Port of Adétikopé was inaugurated in 2021. With a storage capacity of 12,500 TEUs, it is intended to serve as a handling and transit platform for goods coming from the Port of Lomé.

Fiacre E. Kakpo

Togo and the Central African Republic could set up a cooperation commission to strengthen their relations in various areas. The leaders of the two countries discussed the project last Tuesday, June 27, in Lomé.

The projected commission should help Togo and CAR bolster their partnership in the economic, commercial, military, security, and education sectors.

Already, the leaders have asked their respective staff to accelerate talks for setting a legal framework for cooperation, in line with the commission project.

The joint commission would materialize the commitment made by the foreign affairs ministers of the two nations last April for a stronger bilateral relationship.

Beyond strengthening their ties, the two nations have pledged to work towards achieving the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Faure Gnassingbé and Faustin-Archange Touadera also called for a definitive end to the fighting in Sudan and the establishment of lasting peace in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Esaïe Edoh

The Prime Minister of Togo, Victoire Dogbé, met with UK’s Ambassador to Togo, Harriet Thompson, last Monday, June 26. The two women talked about the Emergency Program for the Savanes Region (PURS), with a focus on UK’s financial and military contribution to the project.

On the occasion, Thompson said British companies could invest in various areas of the project, particularly in water and energy. "We also discussed how our military forces can work with the Togolese forces to help them better fight terrorism in the northern part of the country," the British diplomat indicated.

Indeed, the people of the Savanes region in northern Togo have been facing terrorist attacks since November 2021 and the PURS was launched in 2022 to boost their resilience against the threats. Lomé put the project’s total cost at CFA200 billion. 

In February 2023, the Togolese government reported that CFA150 billion were secured from technical and financial partners (TFPs). The government also highlighted that CFA50 billion was allocated in 2022 to the project. This led to a 15 %-20% improvement in the rural road network, providing access to clean water for 80,000 people, and extending electricity to an additional 15,000 households.

The meeting between Dogbé and Thompson aligns with Togo’s efforts to build cooperative ties with the Commonwealth States.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo just revised its law on electronic transactions, on June 27th, during the fifth plenary session of the first ordinary session of the National Assembly. The update aims to match existing regulations to new challenges and issues that electronic transactions pose.

Also, the updated bill aims to create a favorable environment for the development of e-commerce and to enhance consumer trust in online transactions, according to the Togolese parliament. This initiative aligns with the rapid evolution of technology and the increasing digitalization of the global economy, and it complements the country's recent ICT reforms.

Although e-commerce still involves a small percentage of citizens (estimated at 6% based on 2019 data), the sector is experiencing significant growth, especially due to the development of mobile money. "This bill ensures inclusive, secure, and fast digitalization for socio-economic development," stated the National Assembly. "Other merits of the law include strengthening rules related to electronic copies and the preservation of qualified electronic signatures, regulating electronic stamps and digital safes, as well as increasing obligations for trust service providers in case of non-compliance," it added.

Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation, who was present during the parliamentary proceedings, praised the passage of the bill, noting that it should help establish digital trust, and foster ICT usage and that it is a step more towards Togo’s modernization and digital transformation. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo took part in the 43rd session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) in Brussels. Held on June 24-28, the meeting brought together deputies from the Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) region, and the European Parliament, to discuss matters of common interest.

The Togolese delegation, as stated by the National Assembly, included Mémounatou Ibrahima, 2nd Vice President of the National Assembly, Abira Bonfoh, 1st Questor, and Gerry Taama, President of the NET-PDP parliamentary group. The international meeting addressed key topics like essential commodities, energy transition, climate change, hybrid threats, and the United Nations Security Council reform.

There were also meetings with the European Commission, the Council of the EU, and the ACP Council. Before the session launched, there were other meetings, youth forums, and a debate on the role of politics in waste management. 

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly is a democratic institution that brings together parliamentarians from ACP states and the European Parliament. Per the Cotonou Agreement, these representatives gather for plenary sessions twice a year for one week to promote dialogue and cooperation between the two regions.

Last November, Lomé hosted talks falling under partnership dialogues between Togo and the European Union (EU). The dialogues were organized in the framework of the new Partnership Agreement between the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (OEACP-EU), and it covered both national and international issues.

President Faure Gnassingbé receives his Central African counterpart, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, in Lomé today. The Togolese leader invited the Central African, according to the Togolese presidency of Togo.

The two leaders are to discuss bolstering the long-standing cooperation between their nations.

Last April, the Central African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sylvie Baïpo-Temon, was also in Lomé. She met with Togo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, with whom she committed to "work closely" to strengthen the ties between their two countries.

At the time, the two diplomats had agreed to establish a legal framework for cooperation that will lead to the signing of agreements in several areas, including the economy and trade through their respective chambers of commerce.

Togo and the Central African Republic cooperate in various sectors, especially air transport and trade. For example, Asky, the Lomé-based airlines serves Bangui, thus contributing to the opening up of the Central African Republic and stronger trade with Togo and other African countries.

Lomé and Bangui are also linked since July 2018 by a visa exemption agreement for nationals holding diplomatic, service and ordinary passports.

Esaïe Edoh

Lomé hosted the 79th session of the Executive Committee of the African Parliamentary Union (APU) on 21-22 June 2023.

Besides Togolese deputies, the meeting gathered delegates from 20 parliaments of the APU. According to the Togolese Assembly, the participants covered several issues, such as security in Africa, especially in the Sahel, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. They also discussed how to implement some recommendations, presented the 2022 management accounts, and worked on the 45th Conference's draft agenda, and the statement on the security situation in Africa.

Speakers expressed their gratitude to the Togolese authorities and highlighted the importance of cooperation among African countries to achieve the APU’s goals.

Pacôme Adjourouvi, the fourth VP of Togo’s National Assembly, attended the closing ceremony. He represented the Assembly’s President, Yawa Djigbodi Tsegan. There was also Binta Sanneh, UNDP’s Resident Representative in Togo.

"Our duty is to stand with governments as they draw sustainable development policies to eradicate extreme poverty and ensure the well-being of our valuable populations. It is also in the name of this hope that you have gathered here in Lomé for two days to share this African momentum," said Adjourouvi.

Established in 1976, the African Parliamentary Union (APU) is a continental inter-parliamentary organization. Its objectives include promoting the unity of action of African parliamentary institutions, serving as a forum for parliamentary dialogue and cooperation for peace, democracy, good governance, and sustainable development in Africa.

Togo wants to update its environmental framework law. Recently, stakeholders from the private and public sectors gathered in Lomé, the capital, to validate the updated law’s draft. Falling under the country’s 2025 roadmap, the update aims to modernize environmental and forestry regulations and tackle rising issues in these areas.

Before the draft’s development, the environmental and forestry regulation was examined, at the national level, and the best regulation practices, at the international level, were studied. Thus, during the recent validation workshop, participants assessed amendments to the former law and gathered all stakeholders’ suggestions and observations. The meeting was a crucial step in refining the new law before it is sent to the government's general secretariat.

The former law, it is worth noting, is 15 years old. "The 2008 Framework Law on the Environment fulfilled its mission by establishing several bodies such as the National Sustainable Development Commission, the National Environmental Management Agency, the National Environment Fund, and the Environment Policy. It has therefore become necessary to revise this legislative text and take into account emerging themes as well as mechanisms related to climate change and finance," said Colonel Koffi Dimizou, Secretary General of the Ministry.

Supported by the West African Coastal Management Program (WACA ResIP), among others, the update is part of Lomé's "environmental legislation overhaul", which lines up with the Togo 2025 roadmap. These recent developments in Togo follow draft laws on climate change and protected areas, as well as the enactment of a decree on carbon mechanisms and the recent approval of the forestry policy document.