Togo First
Togo deploys digital intelligence platform to combat market fraud
Togo has integrated a new Digital Market Intelligence (DMI) platform into its automated product marking system. The tool was officially launched on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Lomé by Minister of Economy and Strategic Intelligence Badanam Patoki.
Developed by SICPA's Togolese subsidiary, the platform aims to transform data collected during inspection operations into strategic intelligence for government authorities. Its objective is to strengthen the government's capacity to analyze, anticipate and respond to market fraud.
The DMI platform complements the Système automatisé de marquage (SAM), a government initiative introduced to combat counterfeiting and improve the traceability of products subject to secure fiscal marking. The platform uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to detect and prevent fraudulent practices involving consumer goods.
Automating fraud detection
By automating the processing of field data, the platform is designed to quickly identify anomalies, flag potentially counterfeit products and report suspicious behavior. Inspections are also digitalized, improving traceability and increasing the efficiency of field operations.
The platform will serve as a working tool for officials from the Togolese Revenue Authority and the commerce ministry, who will use its analyses to guide inspections and strengthen market surveillance.
For Togolese authorities, the initiative forms part of a broader effort to modernize economic regulatory tools. It is expected to increase market transparency, protect consumers from non-compliant products and improve tax collection needed to finance development.
“The DMI platform marks an important step in the use of innovative technologies to regulate markets and strengthen public revenue mobilization,” Minister Patoki said.
Essowavana Adoyi, president of the SAM commission, said the system opens a new phase in the fight against fraud. According to him, the Digital Market Intelligence platform marks “Togo's entry into a more proactive and data-driven fight against fraud.”
The SAM system has been deployed in Togo since 2020 to secure consumer products and improve tax collection. Between 2020 and 2025, the mechanism generated approximately 35.8 billion CFA francs in revenue for the tax administration.
Esaïe Edoh
UEMOA consultative chamber pushes reforms and explores new financing tools for private sector
The president of the CCR-UEMOA, Héléna Nosolini Embalo, presented a mid-term assessment of the institution's efforts to strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa's private sector.
The press conference, held in Lomé on Thursday, March 12, 2026, brought together other senior officials of the regional body, including Mariétou Coulibaly, director general, and José Kwassi Syménouh, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Togo (CCI-Togo). It was moderated by Léonard Dossou, coordinator of the UEMOA media platform.
The main takeaway: through strategic reforms, studies on business financing and support for African economic integration, the CCR-UEMOA aims to accelerate reforms and financing mechanisms for the private sector.
Updated Strategic Foundations
At the midpoint of its mandate, the UEMOA Regional Consultative Chamber highlighted several advances designed to better support businesses across the community area.
Among its key achievements is the update of the Vision and Strategic Plan 2020-2030 to incorporate the priorities of the 2024-2027 mandate. The institution also developed an action plan for this period, accompanied by a performance framework intended to improve monitoring and the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives.
In the same vein, the CCR-UEMOA continued to build the capacity of its member organizations, particularly through training programs and experience-sharing initiatives, its president said.
The regional consultative body also mobilized to prepare businesses within the Union to capitalize on opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
In collaboration with the European Union, it rolled out a technical capacity-building program focused on the AfCFTA protocol on trade in goods, targeting member organizations and private sector support structures.
In addition, an economic prospecting mission to Barcelona resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Association of Mediterranean Countries' Chambers of Commerce and Industry, opening the door to new economic partnerships.
Recommendations on Economic Issues
On the advisory front, the CCR-UEMOA's technical commissions produced several analyses and recommendations on key issues for the regional economy: the gradual formalization of the informal sector, the free movement of people and goods, industrial competitiveness, local content in the mining sector and the harmonization of tax and commercial legislation.
Other topics, including improvements to the business environment, tourism development, energy challenges and public procurement, also received in-depth consideration.
According to the institution, these analyses help inform decisions by the Union's highest authorities and strengthen the consideration given to private sector concerns.
A Push for New Financing Mechanisms
Business financing is another central focus of the CCR-UEMOA's work. To that end, the institution conducted two opportunity and feasibility studies. The first examined the creation of a regional mechanism to support, stabilize and revive the private sector during major crises, as a complement to existing instruments. The second explored the establishment of a flexible financing mechanism dedicated to micro-enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, craft businesses and agro-sylvo-pastoral operations, anchored to Caisse des Dépôts et de Consignations institutions or similar bodies.
Separately, a comprehensive study on the informal sector in the UEMOA was launched with the aim of proposing a five-year action plan for its gradual formalization.
For the remainder of its mandate, running through 2027, the CCR-UEMOA presidency plans to operationalize the financing mechanisms under study, press ahead with reforms to promote formalization and business competitiveness and deepen cooperation with technical and financial partners. The institution also aims to strengthen its position as a strategic interface between the private sector and UEMOA's community institutions.
The CCR-UEMOA is an advisory body established under the Union's Treaty, with a primary mission of ensuring the effective involvement of the private sector in UEMOA's integration process. It serves as the institutional framework for dialogue and consultation between the Union's bodies and the community's private sector.
S.A
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.
R.E.D
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.
R.E.D