• LONATO applies a 5% tax withholding on lottery winnings of CFA500,000 or more starting January 1, 2026.
• The measure supports Togo’s effort to broaden its tax base and channels proceeds to the Togo Revenue Office (OTR).
• Several West African countries, including Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Burkina Faso, have adopted similar gambling tax policies.

Starting January 1, 2026, Togo applies a 5% tax withholding on any winnings from tickets issued by the National Lottery of Togo (LONATO) equal to or above CFA500,000, according to a recent announcement by the lottery operator.

LONATO applies the measure automatically at the time of payout. As a result, a CFA500,000 winning ticket triggers a CFA25,000 deduction before payment to the bettor. The Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) collects the proceeds.

The government had prepared the measure for nearly two years. Lawmakers examined the proposal in 2024 as part of broader fiscal reforms. Authorities now deploy the tax as one of several tools designed to expand the national tax base.

Togo does not stand alone in taxing gambling winnings. Senegal introduced a 20% withholding tax on regulated gaming winnings in 2025. Authorities applied the levy starting November 1, 2025, across both physical betting networks and digital platforms.

Côte d’Ivoire previously adopted a similar approach. The country introduced a 7.5% tax on gaming winnings exceeding CFA1 million under its 2018 fiscal annex. Burkina Faso has also moved in the same direction. The country’s 2025 finance law aims to harmonize gambling taxation around a 5% rate, matching Togo’s level.

Beyond Togo’s rollout of the measure this year, the region shows a broader trend toward integrating gambling activities into standard tax frameworks. However, governments still face regulatory and formalization challenges in the sector.

In Togo, authorities appear well positioned to address these issues. LONATO operates as a parastatal entity and plays a central role in the national gambling market. The operator already aligns closely with the OTR on tax compliance, easing implementation risks.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• The Togolese government has approved accession to international nuclear safety and emergency conventions.
• The decision covers rapid notification of nuclear accidents, international assistance, and protection of nuclear materials.
• The move supports Togo’s broader push to develop civil nuclear uses despite projects remaining at an early stage.

Togo aims to strengthen its nuclear safety framework and plans to accede to several international conventions, including the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident. The government signaled this intention during its final Council of Ministers meeting of 2025, when it authorized the country’s accession to the instrument.

During the same session, the cabinet adopted three draft bills. These bills also cover the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency and the amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material.

The government said these international legal instruments seek to ensure rapid information sharing in the event of a nuclear incident, facilitate access to international assistance, and strengthen cooperation among states. Togolese authorities said future accession would help consolidate the prevention and management of radiological risks while securing civil uses of nuclear technology. These uses include applications in health, agriculture, scientific research, and training.

Although concrete civil nuclear developments remain at the project stage, the executive decision expands the national legal framework. The move builds on the June 2020 law governing the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technology.

In recent months, the country has also sent multiple signals supporting nuclear energy development. In January 2025, authorities created an Atomic Energy Commission to coordinate programmes related to peaceful nuclear applications in health, agriculture, scientific research, and energy.

At the international level, Togo won election in the same year to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency for the 2025–2027 term. In parallel, Lomé signed an agreement in late 2024 with a U.S. company to explore the use of nuclear micro-reactors for electricity generation, particularly for off-grid supply.

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• The Commune of Keran 1 plans a 2026 draft budget of CFA 279.5 million.
• The municipal council presented the budget during its first ordinary session on Jan. 5, 2026.
• The council discussions focus on water access, market infrastructure, and management of public assets.

In Togo, the Commune of Keran 1, located in the Kara region in the north of the country, has started preparing its budget framework for the 2026 fiscal year, targeting an envelope of CFA279.5 million.

The municipal council presented the draft budget during the opening of its first ordinary session on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. The session focuses on the functioning of permanent commissions and the organization of municipal services.

Moreover, the council scheduled the session to run for seven working days. The agenda includes the allocation of commission members and the alignment of local development priorities with available financial resources.

In addition to the budget, municipal elected officials are debating several items with direct economic impact. These items include access to drinking water, management of market infrastructure, and procedures governing the legal occupation of public land.

Furthermore, the session includes a review of the project to establish a citizens’ office and the creation of a consultation framework for managing collective facilities. These facilities include community centers, the bus station, and sand and gravel quarries.

According to the head of the municipal executive, Agbandao Kounon Nahou, this first session of the current term, following last year’s municipal elections, aims to define the main orientations for local development.

Keran 1 forms one of the three communes in the Keran prefecture. The municipal territory includes three cantons—Kandé, Péssidé, and Akpontè—and lies about 55 kilometers north of the city of Kara and nearly 470 kilometers from Lomé. The commune has a population of just over 44,000 residents and covers an area of 812.4 square kilometers.

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• The Tony Elumelu Foundation has opened applications for the 2026 edition until March 1.
• Selected entrepreneurs can receive up to $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital.
• The programme targets Togolese project leaders across all sectors, from idea stage to active businesses.

Young Togolese entrepreneurs and project leaders can once again apply to the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme 2026, with applications open until March 1 this year.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) leads the pan-African programme, which has supported the creation and consolidation of small businesses across the continent for several years. The initiative operates in an environment marked by high youth unemployment and a shortage of viable startups, including in Togo.

Specifically, the programme offers non-refundable seed capital of up to $5,000, combined with 12 weeks of intensive business management training. In addition, the programme provides personalized mentoring and access to an international network of investors and entrepreneurs. Togolese project leaders can apply regardless of sector, whether they are at the idea stage or already operating a business. The foundation delivers the training in French, English, Portuguese, and Arabic.

Moreover, the process includes candidate selection, training, business plan development, a pitching phase, and electronic transfer of funds. In this context, the programme allows applicants who do not receive funding to retain access to the training and apply again in future editions.

For Togo, where entrepreneurship represents a central lever for job creation and efforts to reduce unemployment, the programme offers an additional source of financing and capacity building. According to the World Bank, a large share of young workers in Africa holds precarious jobs, a trend that also affects the Togolese labor market.

This article was initially published in French by R.E.D

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• The Togolese government plans to recruit 3,851 new teachers through a national competitive exam.
• Authorities will accept applications from March 5 to March 6, 2026, at regional education offices.
• Successful candidates will join the civil service after written exams scheduled for April 11, 2026.

The Togolese government, through the ministries responsible for Civil Service and National Education, announced the recruitment of 3,851 new teachers to strengthen the country’s education system. The authorities will organize a national competitive recruitment examination for this purpose.

The administration will receive application files from Monday, March 5, to Friday, March 6, 2026, at regional directorates of education (DRE). The competition targets Togolese citizens, both men and women, aged between 18 and 40.

After the initial screening, the authorities will summon shortlisted candidates to sit written examinations scheduled for Saturday, April 11, 2026. The government will conduct the exams at several centers nationwide, including Lomé, Tsévié, Atakpamé, Kpalimé, Sokodé, Kara, and Dapaong.

Following the completion of the process, successful candidates will enter the Togolese civil service. The government will allocate the positions as follows: 650 teachers for preschool education, 1,720 for primary education, 630 for lower secondary education, 750 for upper secondary education, and 101 for educational FabLabs, which serve as pedagogical laboratories dedicated to technology learning and digital fabrication.

In addition, the Ministry of Civil Service has published detailed information on eligibility requirements, geographic distribution of positions, and specific competition procedures on its official website.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Togo registered 14,202 new companies in 2025, down 4.8% year on year.
• The decline marked the second consecutive annual contraction, after a 13% drop in 2024.
• New registrations slowed each quarter, with the sharpest decline in the fourth quarter.

Togo recorded 14,202 newly created companies in 2025, according to data collected and compiled by Togo First from the Business Creation Formalities Center (CFE). This total represented a 4.8% decline compared with 2024, when authorities registered 14,919 companies. The result marked the second consecutive annual contraction, following a 13% decline recorded in 2024.

In detail, entrepreneurs created 4,262 companies in the first quarter of 2025, compared with 3,485 in the second quarter, confirming an early slowdown in the year. Registrations continued to fall in the third quarter, with 3,352 new businesses, before the decline intensified in the fourth quarter, when authorities registered 3,103 companies between October and December.

This downward trend persisted despite government efforts to improve the business climate. Authorities implemented measures that included reducing the time and cost of company registration, digitizing formalization procedures, and introducing reforms aimed at boosting entrepreneurship.

Although authorities did not officially comment on the causes of the decline, several structural factors likely contributed to the slowdown. Limited access to financing continued to constrain entrepreneurship, as financial institutions favored established firms, which lenders perceived as less risky, over young companies and startups.

In addition, market saturation in several sectors — particularly trade, catering, and transport — likely reduced opportunities for new entrants.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Togo approved a simplified export procedures guide to ease agricultural trade within UEMOA and ECOWAS.
• The guide targets cross-border trade in agricultural, livestock, forestry, and fisheries products.
• Authorities aim to cut costs, delays, and post-harvest losses while boosting regional market access.

In Togo, authorities approved last week a simplified guide on export procedures for agricultural products destined for UEMOA and ECOWAS markets. The document seeks to improve information access for stakeholders on rules and formalities governing cross-border agricultural trade.

The authorities developed the guide with support from the Regional Agricultural Market Integration Program (PRIMA). The document targets actors involved in cross-border trade of agricultural, livestock, forestry, and fisheries products. It addresses producers, exporters, public administrations responsible for agriculture and trade, and private-sector operators.

In practical terms, the guide clarifies each step of export procedures. It details required documentation, applicable standards, and rules on free movement and preferential regimes within the regional bloc. As a result, the harmonization of information aims to reduce transaction costs, shorten processing times, and limit procedural errors. The authorities also expect the guide to facilitate trade flows and reduce post-harvest losses.

By easing access for Togolese products to intraregional markets, the initiative seeks to help exporters capitalize on a regional market of more than 400 million consumers. Moreover, the measure aligns with Togo’s national strategy to promote agricultural exports and strengthen local value chains.

According to the Ministry of Trade’s delegate minister, the initiative aims to encourage and further structure exports, particularly agro-industrial products. Agriculture accounts for more than 40% of gross domestic product and employs about 65% of Togo’s workforce.

This article was initially published in French by Esaie Edoh 

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Canal+ Togo will take control of GVA’s fiber-optic operations after government approval of a license transfer.

• Authorities say the change will not affect services, pricing, or connection quality for subscribers.

• Canalbox currently holds about 61% of Togo’s fiber broadband market.

Canal+’s local subsidiary in Togo will take control of the operations of fiber-optic provider GVA, which operates under the Canalbox brand. During a cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the Togolese government approved the transfer of GVA’s operating license to Canal+ Togo.

This change in Canalbox’s ownership structure follows the restructuring of Vivendi Group, which decided in December 2024 to split into several independent entities. Canalbox currently serves as Togo’s leading fiber broadband provider. Authorities said the transition would not trigger any immediate changes for subscribers. The government said services, commercial offers, and connection quality would remain unchanged. Officials added that the transaction primarily aims to ensure business continuity under a new governance structure.

A ministerial decree is expected in the coming weeks to legally finalize the license transfer. Meanwhile, the operation aligns with Togo’s national strategy to position itself as a regional digital hub. Canal+, which operates fiber-optic services in nine African countries, has stronger financial capacity that could support additional infrastructure investments and service quality improvements, according to officials.

The integration of Canalbox into the Canal+ group should also support the development of a so-called “triple-play” offer, combining television, internet, and fixed-line telephony. The move should strengthen Canal+’s position in Togo’s fiber broadband market. It should also allow the group to optimize its distribution network and deliver a more integrated customer experience under a single brand.

Canal+ and Canalbox already shared distribution channels before the transaction. Following the takeover, both entities will now operate as a unified telecommunications and audiovisual services hub.

Canalbox currently dominates Togo’s fiber-optic market with an estimated 61% market share, ahead of competitor Yas Togo.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Women hold 13.33% of ministerial posts and less than 15% of municipal and regional council seats.
• Gender-sensitive spending reached CFA32.02 billion in 2024 and could rise to CFA61.4 billion in 2026.
• Limited access to finance continues to constrain women’s economic empowerment despite targeted programs.

Togo continues to expand gender integration with measurable economic implications, although progress remains uneven across sectors. In decision-making bodies, women hold 13.33% of ministerial positions, 21.24% of seats in the National Assembly, and 26.22% in the Senate.

Women account for 20% of regional governors, while representation remains below 15% in municipal and regional councils. The Gender-Sensitive Budget Document 2026 reported these figures and highlighted a persistent ceiling in women’s access to leadership roles despite symbolic advances.

On the budget front, gender-sensitive spending reached CFA32.02 billion in 2024, representing 1.4% of the national budget. Authorities achieved an execution rate close to 90%, according to the same source.

For 2026, projections increased to CFA61.4 billion, or 5.22% of the national budget, although ministries showed wide disparities. Several key economic sectors allocated less than 0.05% of their budgets to gender-sensitive actions. On the institutional level, the government deployed several mechanisms to strengthen women’s access to justice and protection. These measures include justice houses, women’s houses, and integrated centers for survivors of gender-based violence.

Authorities also reinforced institutional support through a women’s promotion division within the Human Rights Commission. In parallel, the Agricultural Transformation Agency promoted gender inclusion in rural areas. However, economic empowerment continues to face structural constraints, particularly limited access to financing.

Entrepreneurs du Monde reported that women entrepreneurs face greater banking barriers in a country where only one in four people holds a bank account. The National Fund for Inclusive Finance partially mitigated this imbalance, with women representing 65% of its beneficiaries.

Finally, recent reforms earned Togo a score of 97.5% in the World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2024 report. The country now faces the challenge of effective implementation, particularly through a formal and enforceable legal framework.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum