Togo First
U.S., Togolese Lawmakers Discuss Formal Dialogue on Health, Food Security, Security
Togo’s National Assembly and the U.S. Congress may soon launch a formal parliamentary dialogue aimed at addressing issues linked to Togo’s social development.
The idea was raised during a meeting held on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Lomé between the President of the National Assembly, Komi Selom Klassou, and a U.S. Congressional delegation led by Young Kim, a member of Congress and representative from California.
During the meeting, the head of the American delegation said U.S. lawmakers were particularly focused on health, food security, and security. These areas were described as key priorities for supporting development and strengthening the country’s stability. They could be discussed further as part of the institutional dialogue being considered between the two parliaments.
“We had a very constructive meeting with the President of the National Assembly. This exchange allowed us to address many subjects, notably the establishment of a dialogue framework between the American Congress and the National Assembly,” Young Kim said after the meeting.
The initiative is part of a fact-finding mission carried out by members of the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee in cooperation with the United Nations system. The mission aims to assess programs implemented by U.N. agencies and their impact in partner countries, including Togo.
The process could also encourage greater involvement of parliamentarians in the monitoring and implementation of programs and projects supported by Washington in Togo.
Togo’s Coffee, Cocoa Committee Urges “Shared Sacrifice” as Prices Plunge
A sharp decline in international coffee and cocoa prices is weighing heavily on the Togolese economy. These two commodities are major export products for the country.
The situation has led to the buildup of approximately 1,500 tonnes of unsold stocks, according to the Coordination Committee for the Coffee and Cocoa Sectors (CCFCC).
The CCFCC held a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in Lomé. The gathering brought together producers, buyers, exporters and processors to identify the root causes of the crisis and explore possible solutions. According to the stakeholders present, the accumulation of unsold stocks is mainly due to the sudden collapse in prices, which has brought commercial transactions to a standstill.
Prices have fallen sharply within a few months. They have dropped from around 5,000 CFA Francs to nearly 2,000 today. This steep decline has left many operators with significant volumes of unsold coffee and cocoa.
Enselme Gouthon, secretary general of the Coordination Committee for the Coffee and Cocoa Sectors, said this price volatility stems from the surge recorded the previous year.
“Prices had risen sharply due to lower production in the main producing countries, notably Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana,” Gouthon explained.
He said this underperformance was linked to the effects of climate change, as well as the aging of plantations and producers.
“Today, prices have gone from 600 FCFA per kilogram to 200 FCFA, or even less on the market,” Gouthon added.
As of Jan. 28, 2025, more than 10,000 tonnes of cocoa beans had already been exported by Togo. On the same date in 2026, exports are limited to approximately 5,000 tonnes. This illustrates the scale of the slowdown in exports.
The Committee is calling on all links in the value chain to make short-term efforts.
“Producers, buyers and exporters must agree to lose a little in order to release existing stocks and restore smooth trading conditions,” the CCFCC recommended.
This concerted approach should allow for a gradual resumption of trade and help stabilize the sector.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo-India Trade Reaches $3.48 Billion in 2025
Economic relations between Togo and India generated total trade of $3.48 billion in 2025, according to data from the Indian Embassy in Lomé. This level of trade makes Togo India’s 32nd largest commercial partner.
These figures reflect steadily growing exchanges between the two countries. India is now the main destination for Togolese exports outside West Africa, and in some quarters it has even been the largest global market for Togolese products.
Trade flows span several sectors, including raw materials, industry, and services. At the same time, India’s economic presence in Togo is expanding. Several Indian companies have set up production units or increased their existing capacities in the country, in line with Togo’s national strategy to promote local processing and transformation.
In 2023, Togo’s exports to India remained highly concentrated in both value and product range, amounting to around $619 million, according to data from Harvard University’s Atlas of Economic Complexity, highlighting the asymmetry between the two economies. During that period, exports were dominated by natural calcium phosphates ($308 million), followed by petroleum products re-exported via Togo ($81 million), and then agricultural and forestry products such as soybeans and soybean oil, sawn wood, as well as smaller volumes of metal scrap and raw cotton.
On the import side, Togo purchased about $3.6 billion worth of goods from India. These imports were dominated by refined petroleum products, at nearly $3 billion, followed by rice worth $327 million, along with manufactured goods, textiles, machinery, and chemical products.
While these exchanges reveal a marked trade imbalance in India’s favor, Indian investments have created jobs and support the Togolese authorities’ objective of developing a more integrated industrial base, notably through the Adétikopé Industrial Platform.
In the medium term, the two countries are also seeking to develop targeted cooperation in renewable energy and climate action, with the aim of further strengthening their economic partnership.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
University of Lome hosts symposium on open science and digital research networks
The University of Lome hosted a Libsense symposium on open science on Jan. 28, 2026, at the Regional Center of Excellence for Avian Sciences. The event was co-organized by the West and Central African Research and Education Network and Togo’s research and education network, TogoRER.
Organizers said the meeting aimed to promote digital tools in higher education and research, presenting open science as a way to raise the visibility of research, encourage collaboration and improve access to results.
The symposium had two parts. The first brought together administrators and network engineers from TogoRER member institutions to discuss digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, interoperability and service performance. The second, the TogoRER community day, focused on strengthening ties within the network and outlining future priorities.
In opening remarks, Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research Gado Tchangbedji said Togo had made human capital, science and digital transformation central to its development strategy, adding that universities depend on reliable and interoperable digital infrastructure.
Togo Launches 2.45 Billion CFA Franc Courts and Prisons Upgrade Program in Savanes
Togo on Tuesday and Wednesday launched a 2.45 billion CFA franc program to build and rehabilitate judicial and prison infrastructure in the Savanes region.
Pacôme Adjourouvi, the Minister of Justice and Human Rights, inaugurated the projects during an official visit to Mandouri, Dapaong, Tandjouaré and Mango.
The investments aim to improve access to justice in border areas facing security threats. They also seek to enhance working conditions for judicial personnel.
In Mandouri, a court of first instance and an official residence for the presiding judge will be built at a cost of 322.8 million CFA francs. The project is scheduled to take twelve months.
In Dapaong, the works include construction of the regional court headquarters and the rehabilitation of the prison, for 643.0 million CFA francs. The project has a six-month timeline.
In the Tandjouaré, a court of first instance with civil jurisdiction will be built over twelve months for 380.0 million CFA francs.
In Mango, the projects include rehabilitation of the court of first instance and the prison, with additional cells. The cost is 594.3 million CFA francs and the works are expected to last six months.
These projects are part of the Emergency Program for Strengthening Community Resilience and Security 2024-2028, which has an overall budget of 6.1 billion CFA francs.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Lomé hosts launch of UT Marché platform for WAEMU government debt trading
The regional agency responsible for the management and promotion of government securities, UMOA-Titres, officially launched its government securities listing and trading platform in Lomé. The initiative was unveiled on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, on the sidelines of the 8th edition of the West African Monetary Union (WAEMU) Government Securities Market Meeting.
The platform, named UT Marché, was launched jointly by Oulimata Ndiaye Diassé, director general of UMOA-Titres, and Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, governor of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). It is part of efforts to modernize and strengthen the secondary market for government securities within the WAEMU zone. The project aims to meet growing expectations from investors and regulators in terms of market efficiency and attractiveness.
UT Marché is designed to improve price and transaction transparency, enhance the liquidity of securities, and reinforce confidence in the regional market. The platform facilitates price discovery by offering better visibility on supply and demand. It provides real-time centralized information on prices, traded volumes, and yields for Treasury bills and bonds. This reduces information gaps and strengthens the trust of market participants.
“This launch marks an important step in the modernization of the government securities market,” BCEAO Governor Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said. He highlighted the structuring role of this innovation in the development of the regional financial market.
For issuing states, the platform represents a strategic tool. By improving the ease and fluidity of trading securities on the secondary market, UT Marché helps reassure investors. This confidence could eventually lead to lower required yields and therefore more controlled financing costs for public Treasuries.
For UMOA-Titres, the creation of this listing and trading platform is a key instrument for transparency, liquidity, and the modernization of the regional government securities market.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo’s inclusive finance fund seeks stronger impact nationwide in 2026
Togo’s National Fund for Inclusive Finance (FNFI) is seeking to adapt its operations to evolving economic and social conditions. Officials from the national inclusive finance scheme held a strategy meeting in Kara from Jan. 22 to 27, 2026, aimed at revitalising the institution.
The discussions focused on reviewing how the current mechanism is functioning and identifying ways to respond to changing economic realities. The objective was to strengthen inclusive finance and ensure it contributes more effectively to equitable and sustainable economic development. At the end of the meeting, new policy directions and priorities were set for the 2026 fiscal year, with the aim of consolidating progress, improving operational efficiency, and expanding the national impact of inclusive finance programmes.
Among the main recommendations was the need for stronger coordination among stakeholders involved in the implementation and monitoring of loans. Participants also called for intensified training and outreach for beneficiaries, particularly on repayment obligations for FNFI-backed credit. They further recommended establishing regular consultation meetings to support joint action and improve access to financing, especially in the regions.
FNFI Director General Tchitchabalo Songaï N’Dassim said the meeting was an important step toward better aligning the Fund’s interventions with the economic and social changes under way in the country.
Created in 2014, the FNFI aims to strengthen the financial and operational capacity of decentralised financial services in order to serve people excluded from the traditional banking system. As of Jan. 28, 2026, the fund had disbursed cumulative loans estimated at 117.70 billion CFA francs, according to data published on its official website.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo approves framework for regional development planning
Togo has adopted a national framework for regional development planning after approving a National Guide for the preparation of Regional Development Plans on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, in Lomé. The document is intended to harmonize planning approaches and improve the effectiveness of government action at the local level.
The guide provides regional councils with a shared reference for designing, planning, and monitoring development initiatives. It was developed by the minister delegate for local development under the Ministry of Territorial Planning as part of efforts to support local authorities. Structured in three chapters, it outlines the legal basis for planning in Togo, sets out the main stages of preparing regional plans, and defines procedures for implementation and evaluation.
Officials from the supervising ministry said the guide, endorsed by stakeholders, is expected to serve as a key tool for steering regional development. Governors, presidents of regional councils, sectoral administrations, and technical partners contributed to the process.
For Kwame Gomado, the minister delegate in charge of local development, the main challenge now is ensuring that regional institutions adopt and apply the guide. He called for development plans to incorporate cross-sector priorities such as climate change, gender equality, social inclusion, the sustainable development goals, as well as social cohesion and security.
Following its approval, the guide is now set to be rolled out across local authorities as it moves into an operational phase.
R.E.D
Togo’s Tchitchao agricultural mechanization center nears completion
Construction of the Regional Center for Agricultural Mechanization (CRMA) in Tchitchao, Togo, is in its final stages and is expected to begin operations soon, after nearly three years of work. President of the Council Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé recently visited the site during a tour of the Kara region, where he reviewed several major infrastructure projects.
According to officials, the center is designed to support all stages of agricultural production, from soil preparation to harvesting, including post-harvest operations. The aim is to ease the burden of manual farm work, improve yields, and support the transition toward more productive agriculture, at a time when the sector remains heavily reliant on traditional practices.
Authorities expect the project to contribute to higher production volumes, more reliable agricultural cycles, and improved incomes for rural households. The center also forms part of broader initiatives launched in the area under the national strategy for agricultural modernization, which focuses on mechanization, improved access to equipment, and the professionalization of farms.
Work on the CRMA began in April 2023, alongside the first national forum for agricultural producers (FOPAT). The infrastructure is expected to allow farmers in the area and surrounding communities to share agricultural equipment while reducing the cost of individual investment.
R.E.D
Togo’s Chamber of Commerce Briefs Firms on New Fiscal Measures in 2026 Budget Law
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo) held a training session in Lomé on Tuesday, Jan. 27, focused on the new tax provisions introduced under the 2026 finance law. The initiative marks the start of a series of measures aimed at helping companies adapt to the country’s ongoing reforms.
The session is intended to help businesses understand the changes brought by the 2026 finance law, in order to support proper compliance and reduce the risk of disputes stemming from misinterpretation of the regulations. Discussions focused on new tax measures, updated reporting requirements, and procedures applicable to companies.
The 2026 finance law, definitively adopted on Dec. 29, 2025, sets out an initial balanced state budget of 2,751.5 billion CFA francs, representing a 14.8 percent increase from the previous year. It introduces several measures, including a VAT exemption on certain locally produced livestock and fishery products. It also provides for simplified registration arrangements for public contracts awarded to young entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs, as well as a tax credit to support the professional integration of people with disabilities.
For the president of the CCI-Togo, José Kwassi Symenouh, a strong command of these provisions is essential to ensure corporate tax compliance and contribute to improved domestic resource mobilisation. The training programme is expected to be rolled out in other regions of the country.
R.E.D