The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) wants to deepen cooperation with Togo across four critical economic fronts. On May 12, 2025, in Lomé, UNECA Executive Secretary Clavier Gazette met with Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbé. They met on the sidelines of the first African conference on public debt, in the Togolese capital.

UNECA will focus its support on four priorities: implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), improving national statistics, especially by recalibrating Togo’s gross domestic product (GDP), strengthening technological capacity in tax administration to raise the tax-to-GDP ratio, and enhancing the efficiency of government action. 

UNECA believes these areas will drive Togo’s economic development and help the country reach its growth targets.

UNECA Executive Secretary Clavier Gazette praised Togo’s recent reforms, lauding the government’s efforts to improve the business climate and attract new investors. Gazette also congratulated Lomé for hosting Africa’s first conference on public debt.

This article Esaïe Edoh

The Togolese government plans to digitize public procurement to modernize economic governance. The Ministry of Public Service Reform has launched a tender to recruit a project manager for the electronic public procurement (e-GP) system, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ARCOP) announced. 

This effort is part of the Public Administration Modernisation Programme for Service Delivery (PMADS), funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).

The digital system aims to create a more transparent, efficient, and fully digitized public procurement framework. The hired project manager will plan activities, coordinate technical and institutional efforts, oversee IT development, and support all stakeholders during the transition. Responsibilities include developing a roadmap, working closely with ARCOP and Agence Togo Digital, and organizing training for public buyers and suppliers.

The project will focus on system bankability, procedure quality, and risk management. The government says this digital system will help Togo meet international standards, boost transparency in public spending, and enhance local business competitiveness. 

Candidates must apply by 22 May 2025.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo’s maritime sector collected CFA6.2 billion through the Maritime Non-Tax Revenue Single Window or Guichet unique des redevances et recettes non fiscales du secteur maritime (GRM) in its first year of activity, from October 2023 to November 2024. The Permanent Secretariat for Monitoring Reform Policies and Financial Programs reported the figure in a recent evaluation.

The mobilization was fostered by the digitization of key procedures. These include applications for secure vessel shelter, transshipment operations at sea, vessel exit after transshipment, armed guard on board, and armed escort. The digitization process also covers the issuance of fishing licenses, technical feasibility certificates for aquaculture projects, and authorizations for laying submarine cables.

Beyond revenue collection, the GRM tracked all port operations. During the period, operators transshipped 510,805,873 barrels of hydrocarbons in Togolese waters.

The GRM forms part of Togo’s broader reforms to boost logistics competitiveness by modernizing the port and digitizing processes. It functions like theSingle Window for Foreign Trade or Guichet unique pour le commerce extérieur (Seguce), active since 2014. However, the GRM has three major goals: providing operators a single, digital payment point; ensuring effective fee and fine collection; and facilitating port performance monitoring.

Esaïe Edoh

In partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Togolese government launched the High Intensity Labor (HIMO) project on May 12, 2025, in Lomé. The initiative creates temporary jobs for vulnerable populations. It aims to boost employment and strengthen social cohesion amid a fragile security situation.

Over the next 12 months, the program will carry out labor-intensive community work. Workers will maintain rural tracks, plant trees, engage in public works, and receive practical training. The target groups include young people, women, and displaced persons.

This approach delivers immediate income and promotes lasting professional integration. “The HIMO project is intended to be a concrete response, adapted to local realities, to restore hope in communities, create a local economic fabric, and strengthen resilience in the face of everyday difficulties,” said Jacques Alandja, Cabinet Director of the Ministry of Labor. 

The initiative is part of the Emergency Program for the Savanes region (PURS), which supports vulnerable populations in northern Togo.

The Togolese Ministry of Trade and Local Consumption is training its new agents in product traceability. Since May 13, 2025, about 60 newly hired civil servants have undergone intensive training on secure product marking and regulatory control tools. This is to better deal more efficiently with the circulation of non-compliant products and protect consumers.

The workshop ends today, May 15. Organized with technical support from SICPA S.A, it fits into the Ministry’s capacity-building efforts, following guidelines set by Minister Rose Kayi Mivedor-Sambiani.

Commenting on the initiative, Atekpe Makiliwè, Director of Internal Trade and Competition, said: “Trainee civil servants need to be seriously seasoned in certain modules.”

The program combines theoretical lessons on the Automated Marking Solution (SAM), which Togo currently uses, with practical field exercises. Agents should learn to identify products requiring marking, verify security sticker validity, and use detection tools in markets and supermarkets.

The training will help improve product controls, ensure reliable distribution chains, and promote healthy competition.

Experts from Togo, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, and Mali are holding a meeting on timber trade regulation and the protection of endangered forest species. The workshop kicked off in Lomé, Togo’s capital, on Tuesday, May 13. 

The International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) and the Office de Développement et d'Exploitation des Forêts (ODEF) are behind the roundtable. Their goal is to improve the issuance of non-detriment findings (NDFs), a critical step for sustainable tropical timber exports.

Dr. Pyabalo Alaba, Managing Director of ODEF, stressed the importance of defining sustainability before exploitation. He said, "Before we start, we need to know what is sustainable to exploit. This workshop is crucial to harmonizing our practices." The ultimate objective is to balance trade with conservation.

Foli-Bazi Katari, Togo’s Minister for the Environment, opened the meeting and praised national achievements. He highlighted securing 14 protected areas, developing 171 community forests, and drafting a law on managing protected areas. These efforts aim to leverage conservation for local development.

The West African Development Bank (BOAD) has pumped CFA1,037.5 billion into Togo since 1976. The bank announced this milestone on April 27, 2025, as Togo marked its 65th year of independence.

BOAD says these investments show its long-term commitment to Togo, a member of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). The bank has funded projects in agriculture, energy, environment, roads, and public real estate.

BOAD includes these efforts in its broader plan to drive sustainable growth in all member countries. In early 2025, under the “Djoliba” strategic plan, BOAD gave Togo CFA40 billion to cover urgent energy costs, including unpaid electricity bills. The bank also provided CFA20 billion for building and running Lomé’s ministerial city, a project managed by Société de Construction de la Cité Ministérielle (SOCOCIM SAU).

BOAD, founded in 1973 and active since 1976, has become a key financial engine for WAEMU states. Over the years, the bank has expanded its mission to address climate resilience, social inclusion, and public investment governance.

This article was initially published in French byEsaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo will hold the 20th Lomé International Fair from November 28 to December 14, 2025. Organizers will stage the 6th “Made in Togo” Fair from August 1 to 10. Officials announced both dates on May 6 at the Togolese Center for Exhibitions and Fairs (CETEF).

This year, the Lomé Fair celebrates its 40th anniversary. The event started in 1985 as a biennial gathering, but was later made annual, becoming a leading economic event in the region. This year, organizers will modernize the fair with a digital platform, the e-FIL portal. The new tool will digitize all event procedures for both exhibitors and visitors.

Alexandre de Souza, CETEF’s managing director, said this digital shift marks a new era for the fair. He considers the fair a platform to showcase Togolese innovation and expertise.

Through e-FIL, exhibitors can book stands, visitors buy tickets, manage badges, and schedule business meetings. The system will serve both B2B and B2C needs. Organizers will also use automated matchmaking to boost business partnerships.

The fair will require secure online payments to cut fraud and improve logistics. This move fits Togo’s broader push for digital business practices. Authorities want to speed up post-pandemic recovery and transform the economy.

As reported by the organizers, the 19th edition of Lomé Fair drew a record 704,000 visitors in 2024. 

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo is ramping up efforts to deal with avian and swine flu. Last week, a training workshop with several animal health experts kicked off in Kpalimé. The workshop aims to help better prevent and control of avian and swine flu outbreaks in the country.

The FAO supports this effort through its ISAVET program to strengthen local veterinary systems. "Good management of animal crises at the grassroots level improves food security, stabilizes farmers' incomes, and prevents health risks for the entire population," noted Dr. Lamboni Matéyendou, Secretary-General of the Ministry in charge of Livestock. 

The training runs in two phases. First, participants complete a four-week theoretical course split into two sessions. Then, they undertake a three-month field internship. Mentors guide technicians as they apply their skills in their communities.

Diwa Oyetunde, FAO Togo program officer, said the goal is to build a national network of veterinary watchers that quickly detect and respond to outbreaks.

This training aligns with FAO’s broader ISAVET program. The program develops veterinary epidemiology skills to prevent, detect early, and respond to priority animal diseases across Africa and beyond.

Togo’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced that candidates must submit their applications for the July 10, 2025, municipal elections between May 20 and 29. Political parties, coalitions, and independent candidates can apply.

Applicants must be Togolese, at least 25 years old on submission day, enjoy full civil and political rights, and read, write, and speak the official language. They must have lived in Togo for at least six months and not be disqualified.

“Municipal councillors are elected by direct universal suffrage, using a blocked list system with proportional representation. Each list includes more candidates than the number of seats to be filled in the proportion of one quarter. Candidates are declared elected in the order in which they appear on the list,” explained CENI Chairman Dago Yabre.

Candidacy forms will be available starting May 12 at local electoral commission offices. CENI warned that it will reject incomplete applications automatically. Applicants will receive a provisional receipt upon registration. CENI will issue a final receipt to the lead candidate after deposit payment.

Authorities set the candidate deposit at CFA50,000 but halved it to CFA25,000 for women to encourage female participation.

Esaïe Edoh