Togo First
Togo adopts five-year plan to combat illicit tobacco trade
Togo has a new action plan to fight the illegal tobacco trade for 2026-2030. The 82-page document was approved last weekend in Tsévié during a workshop organized by the National Programme on Addiction to Psychoactive Substances (PNAPP), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The plan is designed to strengthen the national response to a phenomenon with health, economic and security implications. Developed after an assessment, it addresses border controls, product traceability, legal framework reform and inter-agency coordination.
The Tsévié workshop brought together experts from health, security, justice, customs and civil society. Participants emphasized the need for a multisectoral approach to improve the effectiveness of existing measures.
"Illicit tobacco trade is a major challenge, as it increases product accessibility, particularly among young people, while causing significant tax revenue losses for the state," said Prof. Balaka Abago, PNAPP coordinator, at the workshop.
According to authorities, the trade fuels criminal networks and poses a public health risk. It also undermines tobacco control policies.
The new document comes as Togo has recorded a decline in smoking prevalence, which fell from 8.5% in 2010 to 5% in 2021. Despite the decline, consumption remains high among men and is rising among young people, particularly in urban areas.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo adopts national framework to support local investment promotion
Togo has adopted a national guide for developing place-marketing strategies. The document was approved last week in Agbélouvé, in the Zio 3 municipality.
Developed by the local development ministry with support from Germany’s GIZ, the guide aims to strengthen the economic attractiveness of local areas as the country continues its decentralization reforms.
The document is structured in four sections and includes 22 practical tools for local authorities. It covers preparation, data collection, strategic positioning and implementation, with a focus on monitoring and evaluation. The aim is to help municipalities and regions attract investors, tourists and talent.
" I hope the guide becomes a practical tool rather than a document that is overlooked," said Koamy Gomado, minister delegate for local development, at the event. He urged local actors to make full use of the document as a tool for economic transformation. The initiative was launched in November 2025 in Aného.
Following its approval, authorities plan several follow-up actions, including disseminating the guide, integrating it into training programs and launching pilot projects in selected municipalities.
R.E.D.
Togo adds video surveillance registration to public services platform
Togo now requires individuals, businesses and government agencies to register their video surveillance systems through an online platform.
The government, through the Personal Data Protection Authority (IPDCP), launched the new procedure in Lomé on Friday.
“These surveillance systems serve multiple legitimate purposes. However, they must be deployed in strict compliance with the law,” Lt. Col. Bédiani Béléi, president of the IPDCP, said at the launch.
The measure is intended to improve oversight of surveillance systems and strengthen compliance with the law, as part of a broader push to digitize public services and amid growing concerns about personal data protection.
Authorities say the initiative serves two purposes: improving the security of people and property in a fast-growing urban environment, and preventing abuse linked to the unregulated use of surveillance technologies.
The move is part of a broader effort to modernize public administration through the Service Public platform, which hosts a growing number of administrative services and civic procedures.
“By launching this digital system today, we are taking another step toward modernizing our administration and protecting the rights of our citizens,” said Kassime Tidjani, secretary-general at the Ministry of Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation.
The IPDCP began digitizing video surveillance registration procedures in February 2026 in partnership with the Togo Digital Agency. The platform was tested internally before being rolled out to the public.
The IPDCP started work in March 2025 in Lomé with an awareness campaign targeting institutions, businesses and the public. The body oversees compliance with rules governing the collection and processing of personal data across the country.
R.E.D
Togo: UNDP funds 9 civil society groups to tackle ecosystem degradation
Nine civil society organizations (CSOs) in Togo will receive financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to implement environmental projects. A funding agreement was signed Friday, March 27, 2026, in Lomé between the U.N. agency and the Ministry of the Environment.
The UNDP will provide a total of 190 million CFA francs to support the nine CSOs, already working to combat ecosystem degradation. The funding will support projects to strengthen climate resilience and protect biodiversity.
The initiatives are part of the eighth operational phase of the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme. They focus on biodiversity protection, sustainable agriculture, reforestation and waterway conservation. The projects will be implemented locally through an inclusive approach involving local authorities.
“Forest restoration without local solutions, without the decentralization and deconcentration of authority, is nothing but the ruin of the environment,” Environment Minister Dodzi Kokoroko said at the signing ceremony.
This funding adds to previous UNDP support for environmental protection initiatives in Togo.
Esaïe Edoh
BOAD approves 6 bln CFA loan to modernize Label d'Or shea operations in Togo
The West African Development Bank (BOAD) has approved a 6 billion CFA franc loan for Label d'Or SA, a Togolese company specializing in the processing of organic shea nuts. The decision was taken at the bank’s board meeting held March 25–26 in Dakar. The financing will be used to modernize the company’s industrial facilities and expand production capacity, benefiting 33 women involved in the value chain.
Located in Gbatopé in the Zio prefecture and inaugurated in February 2023, the Label d'Or plant was built at a cost of 1.8 billion CFA francs, co-financed by the company and USAID. The facility can process 30 metric tons of nuts per day, equivalent to about 4,300 metric tons of shea butter annually, with a target turnover of 7 million euros per year.
Label d'Or also receives support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group. The IFC has signed a technical assistance agreement covering financial management, ESG compliance and access to financing. The BOAD loan forms part of a broader effort to move the company up the value chain.
The company has yet to reach full capacity. To operate at maximum output, it must secure up to 10,000 metric tons of shea nuts over a short period, requiring significant financing. Competition for supply and export certification requirements also weigh on competitiveness.
Togo is one of Africa’s leading producers of shea nuts, with annual output of 20,000 to 25,000 metric tons, but most production is still exported in raw form. Label d'Or aims to strengthen the country’s position in certified processing, targeting U.S. and European markets where demand for organic shea butter remains strong in the cosmetics and food industries.
Fiacre E. Kakpo
Togo to Raise 30 Billion CFA Francs on WAEMU Market Through Bills and Bonds
Togo will tap the regional debt market on April 3, seeking to raise 30 billion CFA francs through a simultaneous issuance of Treasury bills and bonds on the WAEMU public securities market.
According to an issuance notice reviewed by Togo First, the Treasury plans to raise 5 billion CFA francs through 364-day Treasury bills, known as Bons assimilables du Trésor (BAT). The securities carry a face value of 1 million CFA francs and will be issued at multiple rates.
The remaining funds will be raised through Treasury bonds, or Obligations assimilables du Trésor (OAT), with maturities of three, five and seven years. The bonds, which have a face value of 10,000 CFA francs, carry interest rates of 6.15%, 6.35% and 6.50%, respectively.
Proceeds from the operation will go toward financing the state budget for fiscal year 2026, set at 2.751 trillion CFA francs.
Since the beginning of the year, Togo has already raised 49.5 billion CFA francs on the regional market, representing just over 10% of its annual borrowing target of 463 billion CFA francs.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo Ranks Second in Africa on Women’s Legal Frameworks, Behind Mauritius
The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law 2026 report was launched in Lomé on Friday, March 27. The ceremony was presided over by Sandra Ablamba Johnson, minister and secretary-general of the Presidency of the Council, and attended by government ministers, technical and financial partners, and representatives from the private sector and civil society.
According to the report, published on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, Togo ranks second in Africa on the legal frameworks pillar, with a score of 79.33 out of 100, behind Mauritius (82.30) and ahead of Ivory Coast (78.25).
The 2026 edition introduces a revised methodology. In addition to statutory texts, it assesses institutional support systems and perceptions of enforcement in practice.
Togo scored 79.33% on legal frameworks and 64.54% on enforcement perceptions, above the regional average.
Johnson attributed the results to political leadership. “The main driver of these results is the strong political will expressed at the highest level — that of the President of the Council, who has made gender equality a priority,” she said.
She added that reforms must continue. “These results should not lead to complacency. We must sustain reform momentum,” she said.
Legislative gains, but work remains
Between 2023 and 2025, Togo implemented major structural reforms, including protections against the dismissal of pregnant workers, full maternity pay through the CNSS social security fund, and measures to ensure equal access to credit.
Togo is also among only 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa with legal provisions allowing employees to request flexible working arrangements.
Challenges remain. The institutional support framework scored 31.95, below the regional average.
“The law alone does not create jobs, does not create childcare facilities, and does not guarantee the safety of a woman walking home from work in the evening,” said Tony Verheijen, the World Bank Group’s resident representative in Togo. He added that the institution stands ready to support the country’s efforts.
The results reflect sustained progress. The National Inclusive Finance Fund (FNFI) has benefited more than one million women, while a national programme to combat early pregnancies and child marriage (2023–2027) has produced 74 community action plans. In 2024, women accounted for 72% of FNFI beneficiaries, a figure presented at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) in New York.
The government also announced new initiatives for 2026, focusing on out-of-school girls and women entrepreneurs.
R.E.D
University of Kara partners employers’ body to align education with labour market
The University of Kara (UK) and the Conseil national du patronat du Togo (CNP-Togo) signed a partnership agreement on Thursday in Kara to strengthen links between higher education and the private sector and better align training with labor market needs.
The agreement was signed by University President Prénam Houzou-Mouzou and CNP-Togo President Laurent Coami Tamegnon. It sets out measures to support student employment, including resource sharing and technology and skills transfer to support socioeconomic development.
The deal establishes cooperation between the two institutions. The university will rely on CNP-Togo’s support for its academic projects, involve it in scientific events, and co-organize activities of mutual interest.
For Togo’s second public university, the initiative reflects efforts to better align with national economic realities and improve graduate employability.
The University of Kara is also considering a similar agreement with the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie du Togo (CCI-Togo).
Esaïe Edoh
Togo equips women’s rice cooperatives to cut losses and raise output
Five women's cooperatives involved in rice parboiling have received modern equipment kits in Tchamba, 374 km from Lomé, under the Food Resilience Systems Program in West Africa (FRSP-Togo).
The initiative targets beneficiaries in the Savanes, Kara and Centrale regions. The equipment includes large-capacity soaking tanks, parboiling units fitted with stainless steel sieves and eco-friendly stoves, as well as drying tarps.
Program officials said the initiative aims to reduce post-harvest losses, improve the quality of locally produced rice and increase processing volumes. Combined with training, it also seeks to strengthen the value chain and boost the competitiveness of local products.
The initiative is designed to strengthen the rice sector and improve both productivity and processing conditions.
Nearly 200 women are benefiting. “More than just tools, this equipment gives these women an opportunity to produce more rice of better quality and increase their incomes,” said Djélé Dahouda, coordinator of FRSP-Togo, as quoted by ATOP.
Supported by the World Bank, the FRSP program aims to strengthen food system resilience and improve food security across several West African countries, including Togo.
R.E.D
Togo launches SME selection under AfDB-backed agricultural value chain program
Togo’s government has launched a call for expressions of interest to select 50 small and medium-sized enterprises to drive its agricultural value chain strategy.
The initiative is part of the Project to Support Young Entrepreneurs (PAJEC), co-financed by the Togolese state and the African Development Bank (AfDB), and implemented by the Agency for the Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (ADTPME).
The program aims to support job creation for young people and women by developing priority agricultural sectors. Targeted value chains include maize, soybeans, cassava, rice, pineapple, sesame and cashew, as well as livestock and fisheries.
Companies selected through the call will be expected to act as anchor firms within agro-industrial clusters. Their role will be to strengthen value chains by securing raw material supply, processing output and improving market access.
They will also be required to sign contracts with producers, cooperatives and young entrepreneurs, and to support capacity building among these partners.
Eligibility requirements
To qualify, enterprises must demonstrate formal business registration, at least two to three years of operational experience depending on their profile, and established supply capacity. They must also show financial soundness and existing market access.
The program will provide technical and financial support, including upgrades to production equipment, access to financing and the development of new markets. Companies will be integrated into the program gradually, depending on sector and region.
The initiative includes specific provisions to encourage participation by women-led enterprises, which will benefit from more flexible eligibility criteria.
PAJEC was launched in February 2025 with a budget of 28 billion CFA francs, jointly funded by the Togolese state and the AfDB to support young and women entrepreneurs. It will be implemented by ADTPME over five years, with the aim of improving access to financing, markets and skills by integrating small and medium-sized enterprises into key value chains, particularly in agriculture.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi