Togo First
Togo launches regional governance capacity-building program
A program to support regionalization and strengthen local governance was launched late last week in Sokodé, in Togo’s Centrale Region. Running from 2025 to 2027, the initiative aims to build the institutional and technical capacity of regional and municipal authorities as Togo accelerates its decentralization process.
The program is being implemented in partnership with the umbrella association of Togolese municipalities (FCT), under a decentralized cooperation framework linking the Centrale Region with France’s Grand Est Region.
The launch workshop presented the program’s strategic priorities, planned activities, and expected outcomes. It also helped clarify the roles of local authorities and technical partners, while improving coordination between the regional council and municipalities. Discussions focused on aligning actions with local needs and the implementation timeline.
The initiative also seeks to strengthen regional development planning, boost local revenue mobilization, and improve municipal financial management. The experience of Lacs 1 municipality, particularly its efforts to digitize tax collection, was shared as an example of good practice.
Implemented by GESCOD-Togo, the program is funded by France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
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Lutheran World Relief seeks consultant to support Togo’s PROFIT program
The PROFIT project in Togo aims to strengthen coordination with the country’s public institutions. The project is implemented by Lutheran World Relief with support from the United States Department of Agriculture.
This comes after Lutheran World Relief recently announced a recruitment call for a consultant to lead engagement with the public sector.
The consultant’s mission will focus on coordinating stakeholders, strengthening institutional capacity, and supporting the development of strategic and regulatory frameworks for three targeted value chains: cassava, chili peppers, and okra. The goal is to improve the governance of these value chains and enhance the institutional environment for horticulture.
Launched in 2024 in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the PROFIT project is aligned with the government’s agricultural strategy. Ultimately, the program aims to reach 25,000 producers, organize 1,000 cooperatives, and produce more than 230,000 tons in total across approximately 51,000 hectares.
Togo Apparels Source enters production at Adetikope Industrial Platform
Togo Apparels Source (TAS), a textile manufacturer, began operations at the Adetikope Industrial Platform (PIA) on Jan. 28. The launch included an inauguration ceremony and the start-up of the first production machinery.
Based within the PIA, TAS produces garments primarily for export. The project is expected to create around 1,500 jobs, supporting industrial employment and local economic activity.
Beyond its direct employment impact, the start of production at the new facility is intended to help shift Togo’s economy further toward manufacturing and boost the national textile sector. TAS joins several other companies already operating at the PIA, underscoring the industrial hub’s expansion within the textile industry.
PIA officials said the new unit “illustrates the platform’s growing appeal to textile investors and strengthens the industrialization momentum underway in Togo.” The platform aims to position itself as a regional industrial hub, particularly for labor-intensive manufacturing activities.
Since its launch in 2021, the PIA has played a central role in Togo’s investment and industrial development strategy. As of the end of June 2024, the platform said it had attracted more than 150 million euros in investment, or nearly 100 billion CFA francs.
In addition to investment flows, the PIA highlights its contribution to public finances. Between 2021 and 2023, industrial activities hosted on the site generated about 8.8 million euros in tax revenue, equivalent to 5.7 billion CFA francs, for the government.
Esaïe Edoh
University of Lomé and France’s UTBM sign academic mobility agreement
The University of Lomé (UL) and France’s University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM) have signed a cooperation agreement focused on academic mobility. The agreement was finalized late last week in Lomé through the signing of documents by officials from both institutions.
The partnership aims to organize and strengthen exchanges of students, interns, staff, and doctoral candidates between the two universities. At the University of Lomé, mobility will mainly involve students from the Lomé Polytechnic School (EPL), the Regional Center of Excellence for Electricity Mastery (CERME), and the University Hub for Innovation and Technology, UniPod Togo (PUIT).
Set for an initial five-year term and renewable, the agreement will allow students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, or engineering programs in the relevant departments to spend a semester at the partner university, with full credit transfer and recognition. The fields covered include civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, mechanics, renewable energies, and advanced materials.
The agreement also includes academic and final-year internships within the laboratories and departments of both institutions. Students leading entrepreneurial projects will be able to receive tailored support within the PUIT, particularly in sectors such as renewable energies, agrifood, and audiovisual services.
Beyond students, the partnership also extends mobility opportunities to academic and technical staff. Teachers, researchers, doctoral students, and technicians will be able to undertake research visits at the partner institution for joint projects, thesis work, or capacity-building programs. Particular attention will be given to the professional development of PUIT technicians.
For Ghislain Montavon, director of UTBM, and Kossivi Hounaké, president of the University of Lomé, the agreement represents an important step toward improving training quality and strengthening the international profile of both universities. For the University of Lomé, this cooperation is part of a broader strategy of international partnerships aimed at offering more mobility and academic exchange opportunities to its students. Several similar agreements have already been concluded with universities in other regions of the world.
Semoa Turns 10 as It Becomes First in Togo to Receive BCEAO “Full Service” Payment License
Semoa Group, a digital solutions provider, has reached a major milestone in Togo’s startup sector after receiving a Level 3 accreditation from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). The approval, the first of its kind for a company in Togo, comes as the startup marks its 10th year of operations.
The announcement was made by the company’s top management, including CEO Edem Adjamagbo and director Eudes Gbessi, during a meeting at its headquarters in Lomé on Friday, Jan. 29, 2026.
10 years: facts and figures
Founded in 2016 by Togolese engineer Edem Adjamagbo, Semoa emerged during a period of strong entrepreneurial growth in Togo. The company positioned itself in the fintech sector, focusing on digital payments and cashless solutions.
Two years later, Adjamagbo, who gained recognition among fintech entrepreneurs in Lomé, expanded operations across Africa. He received two prestigious awards in Casablanca, Morocco, including “Startup of the Year 2018.”
While Semoa has expanded its activities in Togo, it has also signed partnerships with state and private institutions. The company has more than 330 partnerships, broadening its client portfolio to include over 20 financial institutions, such as Ecobank, Orabank, and Cofina. Adjamagbo is working to extend operations beyond the country.
Four new Semoa subsidiaries have gradually been established in Benin, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal. These subsidiaries reflect the African ambitions of the Togolese entrepreneur.
The company offers products such as WhatsApp Banking and Semoa Pro, a payment switch that enables system interoperability for single and mass payments. It also provides Cashpay, a multimodal platform that centralizes payment methods including credit cards, mobile money, and wallets to process online or point-of-sale payments.
In addition, it offers the Voucher Management System, a platform for generating standardized tickets, tax stamps, and tamper-proof, fully secure codes.
Since 2016, more than 4 million transactions have been processed, with over 552,000 beneficiaries and more than 161 million euros in processed flows.
The CEO said Semoa’s track record includes several solutions, starting with digital cards and electronic payments before introducing WhatsApp banking.
In Togo, WhatsApp banking has enabled around 300,000 people so far to carry out banking operations without visiting a branch. Adjamagbo said the impact of these innovations on the population is at the heart of Semoa Group’s 10-year review.
A BCEAO “full service” payment institution license
The company, which has ambitions across Africa, is strengthening its regulatory and compliance position after securing its BCEAO payment institution license on Jan. 27, 2026. This Level 3 accreditation, a first in Togo, is the result of years of sustained effort.
It will allow Semoa to provide the full range of payment institution services, including money transfers.
“This is a full PSP (Payment Service Provider) agreement, the most complete for a payment institution. It allows us to do ten times, or even a hundred times more in Togo than what we have done until now,” the CEO said.
Adjamagbo noted that Semoa had voluntarily limited itself to certain activities for compliance reasons. The company can now legally operate in the cross-border transfer segment as well as all other digital finance segments.
The ultimate ambition is to become an African leader in payments and payment services.
S.A
Togolese Entrepreneurs, Bankers to Meet in Lomé on Feb. 5 to Discuss Credit Access
Dialogue between business leaders and banking officials in Lomé continues to be marked by frequent misunderstandings. Entrepreneurs want quick financing tailored to their day-to-day operating needs, while bankers remain bound by risk management, compliance and profitability constraints. A meeting bringing both sides together will be held on Feb. 5 to address this structural tension.
The initiative is led by Edem d’Almeida, a cleantech entrepreneur and moderator of economic forums in Lomé. It aims to provide a space for direct dialogue between private sector actors and financiers outside formal institutional settings.
The debate will bring together two speakers with different professional backgrounds. Eric Atayi, managing director of EKEA SARL, a company active in technical services and equipment, faces the practical realities of financing small and medium-sized enterprises. François Aleke, a banking professional at Orabank, is well-versed in the requirements of risk management, compliance and profitability. They reflect two perspectives on a single central issue: access to financing.
These exchanges come as most companies remain outside the reach of the banking system. A World Bank Group study indicates that 55% of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) surveyed in Togo do not have access to bank financing. The Togo Private Sector Diagnostic highlights that more than 85% of companies operate in the informal sector, a situation that complicates risk assessment and access to credit.
The same document notes that bank credit to the private sector fell from 40% of GDP in 2015 to 26% in 2020. Financing remains concentrated on a limited number of companies and sectors, primarily services, leaving agriculture and a large share of SMEs further excluded. In this context, access to credit remains one of the main points of friction between entrepreneurs and financial institutions.
The discussion will be held at the ONOMO Hotel Lomé in an after-work networking format designed to encourage informal exchanges. The setting was chosen to address a central question directly: how to better align the dynamics of wealth creation with the financing that supports it in a Togolese economy seeking acceleration.
Togo earmarks 21 billion CFA francs in 2026 to pursue universal drinking water access
Togo plans to continue rolling out projects and programs in 2026 aimed at achieving universal access to safe drinking water by 2030.
To support this goal, the sector has been allocated 21 billion CFA francs under the 2026 budget law seen by Togo First. The funding is included in the allocation for the Ministry Delegate for Water and Sanitation.
The amount represents an 11% increase from the previous year, when funding totaled 19 billion CFA francs. It also accounts for almost 84% of the resources assigned to the ministry, which has an overall budget of 25 billion CFA francs in 2026.
The funds will finance several measures under the National Drinking Water Supply Plan. Launched in February 2021, the program brings together a series of major infrastructure projects designed to sustainably improve access to drinking water nationwide, in both urban and rural areas.
Part of the allocation will be used to strengthen the drinking water supply in Lomé and its surrounding areas, as well as in several inland cities. This priority comes amid ongoing water supply disruptions, which prompted the government to launch a national emergency plan in December 2025 in response to problems reported in several localities.
The Togo Urban Water Security Project (PaSH-MUT), launched in October 2023, is also expected to receive funding. The project aims to install six autonomous water supply systems in the peripheral areas of Lomé to meet rising demand driven by the rapid urban growth of the capital and its surroundings.
Through these initiatives, Togolese authorities aim to provide universal access to drinking water nationwide by the end of 2030.
According to statistics published by the Ministry of Water in July 2024, the drinking water supply rate rose from 47.66% in 2014 to 69% in 2023, with an intermediate target of 85% set for 2025.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo transport union deploys crane trucks to speed up roadside recovery
The National Union of Transporters of Togo (UNATROT) commissioned on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026, two crane trucks to support vehicle recovery and towing operations along the country’s main roads.
The vehicles are based in Notse and Kara. They are intended to allow the rapid removal of broken-down or crashed vehicles, helping to minimise traffic disruption and reduce the risk of secondary accidents.
This logistical support is meant to respond to growing pressure on the Togolese road network, which is used for both domestic transport and regional transit. Through this initiative, UNATROT aims to address increasing challenges related to traffic flow and safety along key corridors.
According to UNATROT President Fombo Sena, the acquisition of this equipment was made possible with the support of financial partners, including Bank of Africa, as well as technical partners. The crane trucks are expected to shorten intervention times and make towing operations safer for the benefit of all road users.
Public authorities welcomed the move. The director of road and rail transport said the initiative would help strengthen road safety and improve the overall performance of the transport sector, complementing government action.
UNATROT also used the commissioning ceremony to urge transport operators to drive responsibly. The organisation stressed compliance with traffic regulations and the importance of accident prevention.
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Port of Lomé seeks to reduce carbon footprint through new initiatives
The Autonomous Port of Lomé is seeking ways to decarbonise its operations and shift toward greener practices. A two-day workshop opened in Lomé on Thursday, Jan. 29, bringing together port operators and other stakeholders.
The discussions aim to lay the groundwork for the transition, drawing on an environmental assessment of the port site. The port, one of Africa’s largest container hubs, identified 24 operations producing solid and liquid waste, 16 contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, and others generating smoke, dust or pressure on water resources.
Port authorities said the findings had prompted them to change how the port operates.
The workshop presented a three-year decarbonisation programme and reviewed international standards on maritime pollution prevention, vessel arrival procedures and digital solutions to streamline port processes. Initiatives such as shore power and solar energy integration were also discussed.
A roadmap for 2026 is due at the end of the meeting, outlining priority actions, institutional responsibilities and funding needs.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo unveils 2030 plan to eliminate key neglected tropical diseases
Togo presented its 2030 strategy to combat neglected tropical diseases at an event in Lomé on Thursday, ahead of World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day on Jan. 30.
The Health Ministry said it aims to eliminate diseases including onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, leprosy and yaws. Health authorities say these illnesses have a lasting impact on productivity, schooling and household income, particularly in rural areas.
Dr. Mamadou Nouhou, the World Health Organization’s representative in Togo, praised the country’s commitment.
“The government of Togo has demonstrated leadership in this fight, stressing that no one should be left behind and rallying efforts to eliminate four neglected tropical diseases,” he said.
Togo has become a regional leader, becoming the first country to eliminate four neglected tropical diseases as public health threats: lymphatic filariasis, African trypanosomiasis, trachoma and dracunculiasis.
The WHO said it would continue to support Togo in tackling remaining challenges.
At the national level, officials stressed the importance of community involvement. Dr. Niosike Piham, coordinator of the national programme, said the biggest challenge was mobilising local leaders, including mayors, traditional chiefs and opinion leaders.
This year’s theme is “Unite, Act to Eliminate Neglected Tropical Diseases.” Activities were officially launched by Kokou Wotobe, secretary general of the Health Ministry. Awareness campaigns and treatment initiatives are planned nationwide, with the aim of reducing the health and economic burden of these diseases by 2030.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi