Togo First
Togo confirms participation in 2027 World Expo in Belgrade
Togo will participate in the 2027 World Expo, scheduled from May 15 to Aug. 15, 2027, in Belgrade, Serbia. The country confirmed its participation during the International Participants Meeting 2026 (IPM 2026) held from March 10 to 12 in the Serbian capital, by signing the participation agreement.
The agreement was signed by Alexandre de Souza, commissioner general of Togo’s pavilion and director of the Togolese Center for Exhibitions and Fairs (CETEF), and Jagoda Lazarević, Serbia’s Minister of Internal and External Trade and Expo commissioner.
Held under the theme “Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All,” the event will enable Togo to promote its economic, cultural and tourism potential to an international audience, as it has done at previous editions.
In line with the theme, the country could highlight the richness of its cultural heritage and the diversity of its artistic expressions, including initiatives promoting music, the arts and cultural industries.
The Belgrade International Expo is expected to attract more than 4 million visitors and over 120 official delegations. It will provide participating countries with a global platform to showcase their economic, cultural and technological assets. For Lomé, the event will mark Togo’s seventh participation in a World Expo. Officials see it as an opportunity to strengthen the country’s international visibility, while supporting economic diversification and new partnerships.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo plans fourth Demographic and Health Survey
Togo is set to conduct its fourth Demographic and Health Survey this year, with data collection expected to last four months. Results are expected in April 2027.
Health Minister Jean-Marie Koffi Ewonoulé Tessi presented the project at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
The survey forms part of both the fifth General Population and Housing Census (RGPH-5) and the international Demographic and Health Surveys programme. It will provide the country’s first large-scale update of health data in more than a decade. The previous survey, the third in the series, was conducted in 2013-2014.
The exercise will collect a wide range of household-level data and produce indicators on population, health, nutrition, and sexual and reproductive health. These data help the government and its partners monitor development programmes and better assess public health and demographic trends.
According to a government statement, the survey aims “to provide reliable and up-to-date data on maternal and child health, family planning, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, domestic violence, obstetric fistulas and child labour.”
Field operations will include household interviews, anthropometric measurements, water and salt testing, as well as blood sampling, the statement said.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo advances reform of industrial free zone governance with SAZOF dissolution
Togo's government is moving forward with the restructuring of governance for its industrial free zone. The Cabinet reviewed a proposal to complete the transformation of the Free Zone Administration Company (SAZOF) into the Investment Promotion and Free Zone Agency (API-ZF).
Established in 1994, SAZOF has been a key instrument of Togo's export-oriented industrialization policy. A total of 141 companies have been registered under the free zone scheme, including 91 that are currently operating.
Government data show that investment under the scheme reached 425.7 billion CFA francs in 2024, equivalent to about 7% of the country's gross domestic product. Companies operating under the regime employ nearly 19,000 Togolese workers.
The reform is part of the implementation of the investment code adopted in June 2019. The legislation established the API-ZF to bring together the administration of the investment code and the management of free zone status under a single authority.
Authorities say the reform aims to improve coordination in investment promotion and streamline government oversight. Under the legislation, SAZOF will be dissolved and its responsibilities, rights and obligations transferred to the new agency.
The government said the dissolution process has now been completed.
“The process having now reached its conclusion, the Cabinet authorized the minister delegate in charge of investment promotion to submit for adoption the draft decree dissolving SAZOF and transferring its responsibilities to the API-ZF,” the government said.
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Grid constraints and supply shortfalls behind recent outages, utility says
Power disruptions have affected Lomé and other major cities across Togo for several weeks. Débo-K'mba Barandao, director general of the Compagnie énergie électrique du Togo (CEET), addressed the situation on state broadcaster TVT on Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Barandao said the outages stem mainly from capacity constraints on the national grid, combined with strong electricity demand. Some equipment in the power system is currently undergoing maintenance to ensure the safety and reliability of infrastructure.
Electricity supply shortfalls from regional interconnections have also contributed to the disruptions. CEET has held talks with industrial consumers to encourage them to reduce electricity consumption voluntarily and rely more on their own generators.
“That would have allowed the available electricity to be prioritized for households. But the situation evolved in a way we did not want. Last week, for example, in addition to the external supply deficit, a power plant shut down for technical reasons, which worsened the shortfall,” Barandao said.
To limit disruptions, the company said it has mobilized technical teams to speed up repair work and strengthen the grid.
“Teams are already deployed in the field to accelerate the work and stabilize electricity supply,” the director general said.
Several projects aimed at improving grid performance are also underway to increase Togo’s electricity generation and distribution capacity. Discussions are continuing with regional partners, including Ghana and Nigeria, to increase electricity imports, according to the company.
The disruptions come as Togo has stepped up efforts in recent years to expand electricity access, with a target of universal coverage by 2030. As part of that effort, the government plans to mobilize nearly 70 billion CFA francs this year through the ministry delegate in charge of energy to continue ongoing projects and launch new initiatives in the sector.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo updates national radio spectrum allocation rules
Togo has approved a new framework for allocating radio spectrum across its telecommunications sector. The reform was adopted Wednesday during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Faure Gnassingbé, president of the council of ministers.
The government approved a decree endorsing the National Frequency Allocation Plan (PNAF), updating the regulatory framework to reflect changes adopted in 2023 to the International Telecommunication Union’s Radio Regulations at the World Radiocommunication Conference.
The new plan aims to align Togo’s regulatory framework with recent and upcoming developments in telecommunications, including the expansion of 5G. It provides for the designation of additional spectrum bands for 5G and high-altitude platform systems, the introduction of a maritime safety communications system, the allocation of new bands for aeronautical mobile services, and the regulation of inter-satellite communications, according to the Cabinet communiqué.
The PNAF, overseen by the telecommunications regulator ARCEP, is typically presented as a detailed table listing spectrum bands such as 700 MHz and 2.1 GHz, alongside their assigned uses, including fixed, mobile, broadcasting and satellite services, as well as the public authorities responsible for managing them.
For the government, the decree both updates the 2022 framework and brings the country further into line with international standards in spectrum management.
Emerging technologies such as 5G, still being rolled out globally, are expected to play an increasingly central role in telecommunications in the coming years by enabling faster data speeds and higher network capacity.
Togo has positioned itself as an early adopter of 5G in West Africa. Togocom launched commercial services as early as November 2020, mainly in the capital Lomé. However, significant challenges remain. Deployment is still limited to key urban areas, while 4G remains the dominant standard and the main driver of mobile internet access for the wider population.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo Plans CFA25bn Bond and Bill Sale as Part of CFA463bn 2026 Funding Plan
Togo plans a two-part debt issuance on March 20, targeting 25 billion CFA francs through the WAEMU government securities market, in its second operation of the year.
According to a tender notice seen by Togo First, the Togolese Treasury plans to raise part of the funds through Treasury Assimilated Bills (BAT) with a 364-day maturity. The securities, with a nominal value of 1 million CFA francs, will be auctioned at multiple rates.
The remainder will be raised through Treasury Assimilated Bonds (OAT) with maturities of three and five years. The bonds, each with a nominal value of 10,000 CFA francs, carry interest rates of 6.15% for the three-year tranche and 6.35% for the five-year tranche.
The funds will help finance the 2026 state budget, set at 2.751 trillion CFA francs.
Since the start of the year, Togo has already raised 22 billion CFA francs on the regional market, representing about 5% of its annual financing target of 463 billion CFA francs.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo’s Microfinance Sector Reaches 4.7 Million Beneficiaries Amid Regulatory Reform
Togo’s microfinance sector served more than 4.69 million beneficiaries as of the end of December 2025, Finance and Budget Minister Essowè Georges Barcola told lawmakers.
Deposits held by microfinance institutions reached 447.5 billion CFA francs, while the sector’s outstanding loan portfolio stood at 352.1 billion CFA francs. Total assets exceeded 578 billion CFA francs, Barcola said.
He presented the figures on Tuesday, March 10, in Lomé, during a plenary session of the National Assembly examining a bill to regulate the microfinance sector.
Strong Growth
The data confirm steady expansion in the sector. By the end of 2024, microfinance institutions already served more than 4.45 million beneficiaries, with deposits exceeding 401 billion CFA francs and loans nearing 359 billion CFA francs.
Operating nationwide, microfinance institutions play a key role in providing financial services to households, artisans and micro-entrepreneurs, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
More than 140 institutions are registered in the country, including 63 members of the Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems (APSFD).
The sector is dominated by the Federation of Cooperative Savings and Credit Units of Togo (FUCEC-TOGO), which accounted for 46% of sector assets in 2024, followed by COOPEC AD, COMEC, WAGES and CECA.
New Regulatory Framework
The new law adopted by lawmakers incorporates into Togolese legislation a uniform act adopted by the West African Monetary Union (WAMU) in December 2023.
It aims to strengthen governance, improve supervisory mechanisms and enhance consumer protection. The law also introduces stricter anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations, Barcola said.
“No institution will be able to operate without internal control mechanisms, without joining credit information bureaus and without cooperating with the competent authorities to detect and prevent illicit financial flows,” he told parliament. The reform seeks to strengthen the sector’s stability while reinforcing its role in financing the local economy and expanding financial inclusion.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
African Experts Meet in Lomé to Harmonize Laws Protecting Aquatic Biodiversity
Lome, the capital of Togo, is hosting a continental workshop on aquatic biodiversity conservation and the implementation of international legal instruments governing marine resource management. The meeting opened Tuesday and runs through March 12.
The workshop is organized by the African Union's Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) in collaboration with the Togolese government and brings together experts and consultants from about 15 African Union member states.
The meeting forms part of the project “Conserving Aquatic Biodiversity in Africa’s Blue Economy,” supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). It aims to strengthen the capacity of national stakeholders to ratify and implement international legal frameworks related to aquatic resource protection.
Among the frameworks under discussion are the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement.
Philippe Ouedraogo, representing AU-IBAR, said the main challenge is accelerating the alignment of national legislation to better combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
“All states should harmonize their legislation to strengthen the fight against illegal and unregulated fishing,” he said.
The workshop comes as Africa’s aquatic resources face mounting pressure from habitat degradation, pollution, climate change and overfishing.
Konlani Dindiogue, chief of staff at Togo’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Animal Resources and Food Sovereignty, said protecting these ecosystems is a major economic and food security issue. Fisheries provide income and food for millions of people across the continent. Participants will also discuss strategies to develop the blue economy and the role of regional organizations in coordinating marine resource management policies.
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Togo adopts law implementing WAEMU anti-counterfeiting rules
Togo's National Assembly on Tuesday adopted a bill aimed at combating counterfeiting and other offences involving currency in member states of the West African Monetary Union (WAMU), during a plenary session in Lomé.
Lawmakers approved the text at first reading during the fourth plenary sitting of the first extraordinary session of the year. The session was chaired by National Assembly President Komi Sélom Klassou and attended by Finance and Budget Minister Essowè Georges Barcola.
The measure implements a uniform law adopted by the WAEMU Council of Ministers to strengthen protection of the common currency against counterfeiting and falsification.
The bill defines offences and penalties related to currency counterfeiting. It covers the manufacture of banknotes outside authorised conditions, the full or partial reproduction of currency without authorisation, the possession or circulation of counterfeit banknotes, and the defacement of legal tender.
The law also specifies the powers of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), the regional issuing bank, notably in centralising seized currency and coordinating the fight against counterfeiting.
According to authorities, the reform aims to strengthen the legal framework protecting the Union’s monetary system and maintain confidence in financial transactions.
During the same session, lawmakers also adopted a bill regulating microfinance in Togo.
“The adoption of these laws demonstrates cooperation between the government and the National Assembly in building a modern and transparent financial and monetary framework for the benefit of the financial community and the population,” Finance Minister Essowè Georges Barcola said.
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University of Lomé students tackle business challenges through digital innovation
Around 300 students at the University of Lomé (UL) in Togo began work on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, to develop digital solutions addressing challenges faced by local businesses. The initiative is part of the fourth edition of Crunch Time for Technological Innovation, organized by the École Polytechnique de Lomé (EPL) and running until March 14.
Working in multidisciplinary teams made up of students from different schools and faculties across the university, participants are analyzing real business problems proposed by partner companies. Within a short timeframe, they must design and present practical and innovative solutions.
The projects focus mainly on the digitalization of services and improvements to everyday practices. Among the challenges identified are the digitalization of the student bus ticket system and the development of tools to facilitate remote room searches.
Inspired by the model developed by the Université de Technologie de Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM), the initiative aims to strengthen links between universities and industry while giving students the opportunity to work on concrete problems.
According to the organizers, Crunch Time Innovation offers an intensive learning environment that places students in conditions similar to those of the professional world, encouraging innovation, collaboration and creativity.
For Komlan Batawila, first vice-president of the University of Lomé, this new edition is expected to serve as a real testing ground for ideas and innovation, reflecting the university’s commitment to training engineers and specialists capable of addressing contemporary technological and societal challenges.
Professor Kondo Hloindo Adjallah, director of École Polytechnique de Lomé, for his part encouraged students to fully use their creativity and technical skills to propose solutions adapted to the problems presented by partner companies.
Esaïe Edoh