Togo has borrowed a total of CFA44 billion this year on the West African Monetary Union (WAMU) financial market, with CFA22 billion raised in the latest issue, on January 24. The Togolese treasury raised the funds via fungible bills (BATs) and fungible bonds (OATs). It initially targeted CFA20 billion.

Investor interest was robust, with bids reaching CFA46 billion and a coverage rate of 234.16%. The Togolese Treasury successfully obtained CFA7 billion from 364-day BATs and CFA15 billion from three-year OATs, which carry an annual interest rate of 6.25%.

For the upcoming year, Togo plans to raise a total of CFA332 billion to support its national budget, estimated at CFA2,397 billion.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh 

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

This week, Togo kicked off two projects to restore damaged forest areas and improve life for local communities. The "AFR100-Togo" project, funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the "GEF-8" project, supported by the Global Environment Facility, were introduced at a workshop in Kpalimé on January 21 and 22, 2025.

Covering the period 2024-2027, AFR100-Togo has a $5 million budget. It aims to provide financing and technical help to small-scale forestry and agricultural producers. 

Meanwhile, the GEF-8 project focuses on preserving and strengthening sub-humid forest ecosystems across 270,300 hectares of native forests and 55,000 hectares of agroforests.

Dr. Amah Atutonu, Director of Forest Resources at the Ministry of the Environment and Forest Resources (MERF), said "These two projects support the government's efforts to restore forest ecosystems and help local communities through income-generating activities."

The goal is to achieve 26% forest cover by 2030. Togo is committed to restoring 1.4 million hectares of deforested and degraded land as part of the African Union's African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative.

The projects are carried out with the FAO, GIZ, and local stakeholders.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi  

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

Enko Education, a firm running a network of international schools across several African countries, has secured $24 million in funding from Africa Capitalworks (ACW) and the Adiwale Fund. This investment will support Enko's expansion strategy.

"Thanks to ACW and Adiwale's investment, we will be able to focus our growth strategy on school acquisitions," said Éric Pignot, co-founder and CEO of Enko.

Jean-Marc Savi de Tové, Managing Partner at Adiwale, emphasized: "Our support will help the group consolidate the fragmented K12 school market on the continent by developing the largest network of African International Schools. We are proud to contribute to this ambitious educational project, combining economic performance and social impact." The Adiwale Fund already holds a minority stake in Enko.

Among the recent additions to the Enko group is Cours Lumière, an international school in Togo that joined the network in May 2024.

Enko aims to triple its student enrollment from 10,000 to 20,000 by 2029 with this new investment. Currently, Enko operates in 10 countries with a network of 16 schools.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi  

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo’s e-services portal processed over 400,000 requests in 2024, four times the number recorded in 2023, spurred by rapid user adoption. The platform was launched in 2022.

Last year, more than 60 new services were added to the platform through collaboration between various ministries and Agence Togo Digital (ATD). These services cover citizenship, justice, commerce, security, energy, and the environment.

The public services platform announced these figures as the government aims to continue accelerating the digitization of administrative processes in 2025. This year, several new applications for digital payments have been introduced, particularly by the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi 

The Togo government plans to update its laws on competition and consumer protection. The new bill was introduced for its first reading on January 22, 2025, during a Council of Ministers meeting led by President Faure Gnassingbé.

Set to replace a law dating from 1999, the new bill aims to meet current standards from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It also aims to comply with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) requirements.

According to Lomé, the updated bill will help better regulate business practices and protect consumers.

The bill will likely be amended further during its second reading. The amendments should consider national interests, and help local businesses thrive amidst foreign pressure.

"Our country will always ensure the preservation of the entrepreneurial fabric and production at the national level, guaranteeing an optimal growth framework for Togolese companies", the government said. 

This bill comes shortly after the Ministry of Commerce released its second national report on competition in Togo.

The Ministry of Security and Civil Protection in Togo now offers six services online through the Service Public platform.

The services include requesting permission for tinted windows, electrifying barbed wire, obtaining security coverage for private events, requesting entry into Togo, reporting incidents involving law enforcement, and sending suggestions to the Ministry.

This move is part of Togo's effort to digitize public services and simplify administrative processes. The option to report incidents involving law enforcement was announced recently.

Users can submit requests and make payments directly on the platform.

Togo will spend CFA72 billion to build and rehabilitate its roads this year. This is 14% less than last year–CFA84 billion.

The new figure, set under the 2025 Finance Act, represents 78% of the budget allocated to the Ministry of Infrastructure, CFA92 billion. Part of the funds will be used to complete and asphalt roads under construction. They will also support new road projects, and help advance a project to rehabilitate 180 km (about 112 miles) of roads. The latter project was announced last year. 

These initiatives align with the government's goal to modernize Togo's extensive road network, which spans over 11,700 km (about 7,300 miles). The objective is to improve traffic flow within Togo and bolster its position as a regional logistics hub.

Recently, construction began on the Sokodé bypass, located approximately 340 kilometers north of Lomé. This project involves building 16 kilometers of road, divided into two main sections: the Tchalo-Kpario section, measuring 12.7 kilometers, and the Kpario-Kidèoudè section, which is 3.3 kilometers long.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh  

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

Togo’s telecom regulator, ARCEP, has set new price limits for wholesale services at the country level. The change is effective since January 16, 2025. 

The amendment significantly lowers costs. For example, the monthly rental price for dark optical fiber has been reduced by 60%, from CFA75 to CFA30 per linear meter. The goal is to make it easier and cheaper for operators and internet service providers to access national and international transmission networks.

This change comes after a cost audit covering TOGOCOM and MOOV AFRICA TOGO. The ARCEP aims to achieve two main things with this initiative: to promote broadband internet expansion in Togo's inland areas and to foster competition in the retail market. This should help reduce prices for consumers.

Additionally, an August 2022 decree about sharing passive infrastructure supports these efforts. Overall, the aim is to create a fair and competitive market while helping the government's digital reforms.

In response, the Authority "calls on the operators concerned to comply immediately and scrupulously with this decision, while urging all fixed and mobile operators present on the market to work to accelerate the coverage of broadband services," according to a press release.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi