Togo recently started a study to demarcate road rights-of-way and classify its national road network. The Permanent Secretariat for Monitoring and Evaluating Public Policies disclosed the news.

According to the source, a report, the study will cost CFA165 million and will be conducted in two phases by specialist firms. The first phase will cover the Maritime and Plateaux regions for CFA85 million, and the second will cover the Central, Kara, and Savanes regions for CFA80 million.

The initiative follows the validation of a preliminary outline project report in September 2024. The Ministry of Infrastructure reported that by the end of December 2024, the project had reached 60% physical progress with 51% financial consumption for each firm.

The Togolese government seeks to update the normative framework for managing the national road network, which dates back to 1968. Authorities said the current framework is outdated and does not meet modern needs or technical service requirements for right-of-way development and management.

The project also aims to classify roads according to their nature and use, facilitating road identification, intervention planning, and public awareness about the use of neighboring areas.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

A delegation from Mali’s telecommunications regulator, the AMRTP, visited Togo last week to exchange knowledge on telecom service quality governance.

The visit focused on the Quality Management System (QMS) implemented by the Togolese telecom watchdog, the ARCEP. This system, certified in September 2023 and audited in September 2024, aims to improve organizational efficiency through continuous process improvement.

Led by AMRTP Executive Secretary Abdoulaye Coulibaly, the Malian delegation reviewed Togo’s best practices in planning and managing telecom services. Both regulators agreed to strengthen their bilateral agreement to facilitate mobility between the two countries and promote regional integration through technical cooperation and capacity building.

Mali’s engagement with Togo reflects a broader regional trend of adopting improved governance models in the telecommunications sector.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

In Dapaong, Savanes region, the Gens des Médias de la région des Savanes (GEMESA) association launched a community resilience program on May 15  aimed at improving economic access for young people and rural women.

The project, funded with over CFA272 million by Luxembourg’s Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM), will run from 2025 to 2029. It targets the prefectures of Cinkassé, Kpendjal-Ouest, Tône, Tandjouaré, and Oti.

The initiative supports cooperatives, school press clubs, and groups involved in cultural and economic activities. The program seeks to include young people and women in local decision-making and strengthen social cohesion through rural entrepreneurship.

Commenting on the initiative, Lalle Tani, GEMESA’s director, noted that “Young people and women are often marginalised in development decisions,” despite playing a crucial role in socio-economic transformation. The project relies on their ability to generate income and lead cultural initiatives.

The program complements ongoing efforts by the Togolese government and its partners under the Emergency Programme for the Savannah Region (PURS), which seeks to bolster resilience among vulnerable populations facing security and economic challenges in Northern Togo.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togolese political leaders convened on May 19 to review preparations for the upcoming communal elections scheduled for July 10. The meeting took place during the 20th session of the Permanent Consultation Framework (CPC), a forum aimed at facilitating dialogue among political actors.

Chaired by Mr. Tchassona Traoré, the session focused on assessing the electoral process and making necessary adjustments ahead of the vote.
Reducing the deposit

One of the meeting’s key outcomes was a consensus to reduce the electoral deposit, with a proposal to halve the fee for women candidates to encourage greater female participation across the 117 communes involved.

A budget of CFA500 million

Delegates also discussed public funding for political parties, describing the current budget of CFA500 million as insufficient given the anticipated number of candidates. They called for an increase in funding to better support election campaigns.

The issue of residence certificates, which has been subject to varying interpretations, was also addressed. Minister for Territorial Administration Hodabalo Awaté said a directive to harmonize procedures would be issued to mayors.

Further meetings are planned to finalize arrangements ahead of the elections.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

The African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE) concluded a working visit to Lomé on May 16. The visit aimed to boost cooperation with financial institutions in Togo, officials said.

The visit occured during Meet-Up Finances Togo, a week-long series of technical and strategic meetings focused on financing local economies.

During the mission, FAGACE signed or renewed partnership agreements with several banks, as well as management and intermediation companies (SGI) active in Togo. The agreements aim to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and development projects with significant economic impact.

With SGI-Togo, FAGACE aims to promote access to the regional bond market for companies while mitigating investor risks. The fund also began discussions with local banks, including BDM-Togo, UTB, BOA-Togo, and Coris Bank Togo, to better address the financing needs of businesses, particularly SMEs.

FAGACE expects the new partnerships to boost its impact across the region. The Fund wants to help build a more inclusive and resilient financial ecosystem that matches the priorities of its member states. 

Active in 14 African countries, FAGACE provides guarantees to financial institutions to facilitate SME credit access. It also supports the economic and social policies of its member states.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

The government of Togo has introduced a free training program aimed at young people aged 18 to 35 to develop skills in emerging digital professions.

The initiative, launched in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), seeks to equip a new generation of content creators and digital communicators with practical skills.

The program offers five modules covering content creation for social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, mobile journalism, web writing and search engine optimization (SEO), influencer marketing, and fact-checking.

Supported by the Ministry of Grassroots Development and UNDP-Togo, the two-month training targets young individuals passionate about digital technology, social media, or media careers. Applicants may apply for one module only.

Interested candidates must submit their applications online by May 25, 2025.

On Monday, May 19, tax and customs officials from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) gathered in the Togolese capital to discuss strategies for managing tax risks in the mining sector.

The week-long meeting, organized by the WAEMU Commission, aims to strengthen member states’ capacities to combat tax evasion, avoidance, and false invoicing related to mining activities. Delegates will also share practical tools to identify and address tax-related challenges.

The initiative seeks to bolster tax revenues and improve coordination between tax and customs administrations, particularly as mining operators increase the number of parades they use.

Essokiza Anakpa, Director General of Budget and Finance and Permanent Secretary of the ECOWAS-UEMOA unit, opened the meeting on behalf of Togo’s Minister of Economy and Finance. “Despite the efforts of Member States, there are still major challenges to be met in the fight against tax avoidance in the mining sector,” he declared.

According to WAEMU Commission data, mining-related tax and non-tax revenues constitute a significant portion of national budgets in the region. In 2023, these revenues accounted for 27.8% of Mali’s budget and 9.4% of Senegal’s. In Togo, where mining’s contribution to GDP remains modest, the sector represented nearly 2% of the budget in 2022.

The meeting runs through May 23.

This article was initially published in French by Octave A. Bruce

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

African Union (AU) co-facilitators convened in Lomé, Togo, on May 17  to coordinate efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The meeting, chaired by Togolese Prime Minister Faure Gnassingbé, sought to harmonize approaches to restoring peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.

Former African leaders, including Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana, Catherine Samba-Panza of the Central African Republic, and Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, participated in the discussions. The roundtable focused on aligning African-led initiatives with existing regional and international peace efforts.

The group emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation with regional bodies such as the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as with external partners including Qatar and the United States.

Gnassingbé was appointed AU co-facilitator on April 12, succeeding Angolan President João Lourenço. His mandate includes reviving peace talks between Kinshasa and Kigali amid ongoing tensions involving the M23 rebel group, which the DRC government accuses of receiving support from Rwanda.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Last week, the World Bank handed out equipment to fishmongers and market gardeners in Togo’s Lacs 1 and Lacs 3 communes. The gear aims to strengthen their work along the vulnerable Gbodjomé-Sanvi-Kondji coastal stretch, which faces serious marine erosion.

The donation, valued at CFA26 million, was provided to 30 groups of fishmongers and 40 groups of market gardeners. The equipment includes electric pressure sprayers with rechargeable batteries, protective suits, coolers, freezers, trestles, gloves, headgear, and bibs.

Adou Rahim Assimiou, the project’s national coordinator, said the gear helps coastal communities whose fishing and gardening livelihoods suffer from coastal protection construction. The project seeks to reinforce their resilience by upgrading production conditions in areas transformed by protective infrastructure development.

This support is part of the World Bank’s West African Coastal Zone Resilience Investment Project (WACA ResIP), which has a social sub-project budget of CFA1.5 billion. The project will soon provide outboard motor dugout canoes, fishing nets, and life jackets to local fishermen.

The initiative also plans to build community facilities like latrines, boreholes, and Chorkor-type ovens. Training sessions started in February 2025 for market gardeners in Lacs 1 and Lacs 3 and will continue.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum