Togo has launched a project to upgrade power grids in six major cities ,  Aného, Atakpamé, Kpalimé, Kara, Sokodé, and Dapaong ,  the Ministry of Energy announced recently.

The project is financed through a 6 billion CFA franc loan from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). It involves rehabilitating 61 kilometers of medium-voltage lines, installing 61 new transformer stations, and laying 234 kilometers of low-voltage lines. The ministry estimates the upgrades will connect about 10,000 households and small businesses across the six municipalities.

The initiative aims to strengthen Togo’s aging electricity network, which has struggled to keep pace with population growth. Rapid urban expansion in recent years has often caused voltage drops and frequent power outages.

Through this project, Togo is advancing its national strategy for universal access to electricity by 2030, with an interim goal of achieving 75% national coverage by the end of 2025.

Esaïe Edoh

Lomé will host the United Kingdom-West and Central Francophone Africa (UK-WCAF) Trade and Investment Forum from November 12 to 13. The event is expected to bring together more than 600 participants, including public officials, investors, and business leaders from across the region.

The forum is jointly organized by the Togolese government, the UK Department for Business and Trade (formerly the Department for International Trade), and partners such as UK Export Finance and DMA Invest.

Talks will focus on investment opportunities, business partnerships, and financing tools to boost economic cooperation between the UK and Francophone countries in West and Central Africa. Participants will also review national economic priorities and ongoing reforms to strengthen investment attractiveness.

The event comes as Togo steps up efforts to improve its business environment and attract foreign direct investment. For Lomé, the forum offers a major opportunity to highlight its logistical and commercial strengths, including its deep-water port and recent tax reforms, in a bid to expand partnerships with British investors.

Environmental authorities and partners in Lomé launched a workshop on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to adopt a national action plan for managing plastic products and waste. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Environment, aims to establish a framework to address the severe health and environmental impacts of plastic use in Togo.

Official estimates show that more than two million plastic sachets are discarded daily across the country, while recycling remains minimal. This massive volume of unmanaged waste worsens soil and water pollution, increasing public exposure to environmental risks.

Meba Toyi, an environmental lawyer and head of the Climate Change Control division at the Directorate of the Environment, said the main challenge is adapting the legal framework to match the scale of pollution. An ongoing national inventory aims to measure how much plastic is produced and sent to landfills to better inform public policy.

Togo has gradually strengthened its plastic waste management since 2011 through several national and regional programs. The country also participates in an international project to build capacity in plastic management, supported by partners including the United Nations and USAID.

Colonel Dimizou Kofi, Secretary General of the Environment Ministry, reiterated the government’s commitment to advancing reforms toward a circular economy and a safer environment. Findings from the three-day workshop are expected Friday.

R.E.D

On October 30, Paris hosted an international conference co-organized by France and Togo to advance peace in Africa’s Great Lakes region. The event brought together numerous heads of state and representatives from international organizations, including the United Nations.

The meeting was co-chaired by Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé and French President Emmanuel Macron, in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Congolese President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi. Nearly 70 senior envoys from countries such as the United States, Qatar, Rwanda, Angola, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and several European and Asian nations took part in the discussions.

Talks focused on addressing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Great Lakes region and establishing a framework for lasting peace. As the African Union’s appointed mediator in the Congolese conflict, Faure Gnassingbé called for a unified African strategy centered on development and reforming aid mechanisms.

“The humanitarian emergency now requires a durable and integrated response—and that response must be African,” he said. “Humanitarian aid should evolve into a development fund. Africa must take part in its own humanitarian effort, not only out of moral duty but also for dignity and effectiveness. Our states must co-finance the program.”

He also emphasized strengthening the role of regional bodies such as the African Union and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region in managing the crisis. “The governance of this humanitarian response must also be African. Beyond financing, Africa must lead coordination, planning, and oversight,” he added.

Gnassingbé further stressed that lasting peace depends on economic justice and the recovery of territories affected by conflict and illegal resource exploitation. “By restoring a transparent and legitimate economy, we will cut off the flows that fund violence,” he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Togo’s initiative and endorsed Africa’s leadership in peacebuilding. “I want to emphasize how important African control is and how relevant President Faure’s approach is under the African Union’s mediation. We believe in this approach, as demanding as it may be,” Macron said.

Several districts in Togo’s southern Maritime region are stepping up flood prevention efforts. Late last week, early-action drills were held in roughly 20 communities across the Bas-Mono, Lacs, and Yoto prefectures.

The operation, jointly led by the National Civil Protection Agency (ANPC) and the Togolese Red Cross (CRT), aimed to test the effectiveness of early warning systems and the responsiveness of local crisis committees. It also helped pinpoint coordination gaps among the various actors managing climate emergencies.

“These exercises helped us assess how well emergency committees understand and carry out their roles, and to raise community awareness about prevention and response measures,” said Jean Kékéli Komivi Akrosu, the Togolese Red Cross’s Maritime Regional Coordinator.

The ANPC said the drills are part of efforts to strengthen community preparedness for extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly frequent in Togo. In response to more intense rainfall and higher flood risks, the government is stepping up efforts to better protect vulnerable areas.

Key projects include the RAINE initiative (“Sanitation Network for Flood Prevention”), which aims to permanently unclog flood-prone neighborhoods in Lomé and its surroundings. Under the WACA Togo Project, modern equipment worth over 500 million XOF was provided to the ANPC and the National Meteorological Agency (ANAMET) last August to reinforce the early warning system.

Togo also operates a national Flood Preparedness and Response Plan (PPR). In 2024, the plan allocated 50 million XOF in public funds, along with 1.69 billion XOF in external aid, primarily for logistics, training of local teams, and community awareness campaigns.

Esaïe Edoh

The city of Aného, Togo, will host an economic forum between Togo and Egypt on November 24, 2025. The event is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the 2025 edition of the Aného International History Festival (FIHA).

Initiated by Togo’s Ministry Delegate for Investment Promotion, in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo), the meeting aims to strengthen economic cooperation between the two nations. This follows a successful Togo-Turkey economic forum organized within the same framework in 2024.

Organizers stated the forum will focus on several key sectors, including agribusiness, textiles, healthcare, energy, infrastructure, and the pharmaceutical industry. It will bring together Togolese and Egyptian economic operators, along with representatives from public institutions in both countries.

Similar to the previous forum with Turkey, this meeting will serve as a platform for exchanges and partnerships to stimulate investment and foster new business opportunities. The event takes place amid a shared commitment by Lomé and Cairo to consolidate their economic relations.

In November 2024, Egypt’s Ambassador to Togo, Ahmed Mohamed Eid Moustapha Ahmed, expressed Egyptian companies' interest in the Togolese market, particularly in the agri-food, infrastructure, and textile sectors.

Togo and Egypt have recently signed several partnership agreements covering energy, urban planning, housing, sanitation, and culture as part of their bilateral cooperation, aiming to further strengthen economic and diplomatic ties.

Esaïe Edoh

The Board of Directors of the Central Depository/Settlement Bank (DC/BR) has approved shortening the settlement and delivery period for securities transactions on the regional financial market from three to two days.

The change, which takes effect in December 2025, aims to enhance market liquidity and improve operational efficiency.

According to the DC/BR, shifting the settlement cycle from T+3 to T+2 will reduce transaction risks and align regional practices with international standards. The move forms part of broader efforts to modernize financial infrastructure across the West African Monetary Union (UMOA).

The Board, chaired by Faman Touré, also approved new procedures for handling late settlements in post-trade operations. The framework was cleared in advance by the WAMU Financial Markets Authority (AMF-UMOA).

Based in Abidjan,Côte d’Ivoire, the DC/BR manages securities custody for market participants and oversees post-trade settlements, helping to maintain the stability and security of the regional financial system.

R.E.D

A regional gathering opened yesterday in Lomé, bringing together representatives from several West African countries to discuss how municipalities can strengthen budget management and resilience during security, health, and climate crises.

The regional event, organized by the Faîtière des communes du Togo (FACT) with support from its partners, seeks to identify and share best practices in decentralization and local governance.

Discussions focus on the role of municipal budgets in maintaining essential services—such as water, sanitation, and health care—during periods of economic strain. According to Éric Talardia Kondia, permanent secretary of the WAEMU Council of Local Authorities, the meeting is expected to produce “a guide of best practices and a roadmap” to promote efficient budget governance models across the region.

For Togo, the workshop continues national efforts launched through the Local Authorities Support Fund (FACT), a mechanism that finances community projects in health, education, and infrastructure.

Delegates from Mali, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, and Togo are set to conclude the meeting on Tuesday with a shared goal of improving local financial management during times of crisis.