Togo First
Togo services record strong annual growth amid late-2025 volatility
Activity in Togo's non-financial market services sector rose 19.5% year on year in November 2025, one of the strongest increases in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), according to the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) January 2026 economic report.
The strong annual performance came despite sharp short-term volatility. Non-financial market services, including transport, hotels and restaurants, business services and certain commercial activities, showed mixed performance toward year-end. After a monthly decline of 12.0% in October 2025, activity rebounded 10.3% in November. Across WAEMU, annual growth in these services stood at 5.4%, placing Togo well above the regional average.
Financial services
Financial market services, covering banking, microfinance, insurance and payment activities, also recorded year-on-year growth. Revenue rose 15.0% over the period, although activity slipped 4.0% in November after rising 8.1% in October.
Overall, BCEAO data show that momentum in Togo’s services sector remains strong on an annual basis but continues to fluctuate month to month, particularly in non-financial segments that appear more sensitive to demand and seasonal factors.
R.E.D.
Togo Launches Preparations for Third National Household Living Conditions Survey
Togo is preparing to launch the third edition of its Harmonized Household Living Standards Survey (EHCVM), a key instrument for improving the measurement of poverty, inequality and overall welfare.
Preparations are under way, with training for mapping specialists and enumerators set to begin on Monday, February 9, in Lomé. The operation is being coordinated by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED), in line with regional standards defined by the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the World Bank.
The survey follows previous editions carried out in 2018-2019 and 2021-2022. Results from the most recent round showed a gradual decline in monetary poverty, estimated at about 45% nationwide, while highlighting sharp disparities between urban and rural areas, according to INSEED. They also pointed to the large share of food spending in household budgets and the continued vulnerability of several regions, particularly in the north.
Once launched, the survey will cover the entire country and collect detailed data on income, consumption, access to social services, employment and housing conditions.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo’s exports concentrated in India and regional markets in Q3 2025
Togo’s exports reached 249.1 billion CFA francs in the third quarter of 2025, representing a total volume of 1.03 million tonnes, according to official figures from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED).
Year on year, exports rose by 14.6% in value, a positive performance despite a trade environment marked by a persistent structural deficit.
Export destinations remain highly concentrated. The country’s top ten trading partners accounted for 74.4% of total export value during the period, consistent with past trends. India remained Togo’s leading market, representing 21.3% of exports, or 55.2 billion CFA francs, with nearly 455,000 tonnes shipped during the quarter. This position reflects strong demand for phosphates, Togo’s main export commodity.
West Africa accounts for over a quarter of exports
Regional markets play a central role in Togo’s export structure. Burkina Faso ranked second, accounting for 10.4% of exports, followed by Côte d’Ivoire at 9.1% and Ghana at 6.8%.
Combined, these West African partners accounted for more than a quarter of export revenues. Mali, Benin, and Niger also ranked among Togo’s main customers, supported by supply and re-export flows through the port of Lomé, underscoring the importance of intra-regional trade.
Beyond the region, Europe maintained a presence, led by France with a 5.3% share, followed by the Netherlands and Denmark. Asia remained marginal outside India. Although exports appear geographically diversified, trade flows remain dominated by a limited number of markets.
Trade deficit widens
Despite the rise in exports, faster growth in imports continued to weigh on the trade balance. Imports reached 505 billion CFA francs in the third quarter, resulting in a trade deficit of 255.8 billion CFA francs, wider than a year earlier.
Togo’s main export products include phosphates, cement and clinker, cotton, agricultural products such as soya and coffee, as well as manufactured goods and re-exports via the port of Lomé.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo outlines strategy to attract more diaspora investment
Togo is stepping up efforts to attract greater investment from its diaspora, a key priority for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, African Integration and Togolese Abroad.
From February 4 to 6, 2026, the city of Kpalimé hosted a workshop aimed at defining strategic guidelines for mobilizing the Togolese diaspora.
The event was held under the “Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyze Private Investment and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience” (SDE4R) project, supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the African Development Bank (AfDB). It was organized by the ministry and brought together representatives from government departments, public agencies and civil society.
Discussions focused on translating a diaspora engagement assessment, validated on January 22, 2026, in Lomé, into concrete strategic guidelines. These are expected to serve as the basis for a future national strategy on diaspora mobilization.
The government views the initiative as a way to better channel the contribution of Togolese living abroad toward private investment and entrepreneurship.
According to the ministry, nearly one million Togolese were registered abroad at the end of 2022. Their contribution is already significant, notably through remittances estimated at several hundred million dollars a year, as well as investments in real estate, trade and agriculture.
The workshop is part of a broader push to strengthen ties with the diaspora over the past five years. Measures include the launch of a digital platform offering services to Togolese abroad, expanded consular services, and annual diaspora forums. In 2023, Togo passed legislation to promote and protect diaspora investment. In 2024, it followed with a credit access program for diaspora entrepreneurs in partnership with local financial institutions.
Togo takes over rotating OHADA Council presidency
Togo will assume the rotating presidency of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) for the next 12 months, succeeding Chad. The decision was taken at the end of the 60th session of the OHADA Council of Ministers, held last week in N'Djamena.
Togo’s Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Pacôme Yawovi Adjourouvi, will chair the Council of Ministers during the term. His mandate will focus on facilitating trade and investment and strengthening legal certainty for business activities across member states, in line with OHADA’s objectives.
The minister said his priority would be improving the business climate across the OHADA region. Togo has made notable progress in this area in recent years, driven by institutional and regulatory reforms aimed at boosting the country’s economic attractiveness.
“This mandate strengthens Togo’s regional leadership and its commitment to promoting an attractive and competitive business environment in Africa,” he said.
Founded on Oct. 17, 1993, in Mauritius, OHADA aims to harmonize business law among its member states to enhance legal certainty, a key factor for investment. The organization currently comprises 17 countries in West and Central Africa.
Esaïe Edoh
Council President Gnassingbé tours northern farm zones, pushes food sovereignty
Faure Gnassingbé, President of the Council of Ministers of Togo, toured Planned Agricultural Development Zones (ZAAPs) last week in the northern prefectures of Dankpen and Binah, where he met directly with farmers to assess conditions in the sector and outline government objectives, particularly food sovereignty.
The discussions focused on the main difficulties facing agriculture in these production zones and on identifying joint solutions to the challenges facing the population, Gnassingbé said, stressing the need for a coordinated approach.
Gnassingbé and the producers identified a shared challenge: increasing production to meet domestic demand sustainably. He said responsibility was shared, noting that neither the government nor farmers alone held all the answers, and called for stronger cooperation between the state and rural stakeholders.
To address this, the government is focusing on the professionalization of the ZAAPs, a strategy intended to sustainably improve producers’ living conditions while reinforcing the national drive for self-sufficiency and food sovereignty.
He argued that food sovereignty must go beyond food security, saying imported products are paid for with domestic resources and primarily benefit other countries, despite Togo’s capacity to produce enough to feed its population.
As part of this effort, Gnassingbé handed over agricultural equipment to operators at the Guérin-Kouka Agricultural Transformation Center (CTA), including 12 tractors and 12 power tillers to support mechanization and boost farm productivity.
The visit forms part of an ongoing initiative. In June 2023, Gnassingbé toured several ZAAPs in southern Togo to meet with producers and assess the implementation of the country’s structural agricultural reform policy.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo advances municipal digitalization project with new tender
Togo’s Ministry of Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation has launched a tender for the design and installation of electronic communications networks under the Municipal Digitalization Project (PDiMa), funded by the KfW Development Bank. The tender includes the provision of Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU).
Authorities have also opened recruitment for a Procurement Manager, with a deadline of Jan. 20, 2026, and an Administrative and Financial Manager, with a deadline of Feb. 16, 2026. These hires are expected to enable the effective launch of the Project Management Unit, which will oversee the execution of activities over a two-year period.
PDiMa is currently in its preparatory phase and forms part of Togo’s Digital Acceleration Program. The project aims to connect 136 municipal buildings, covering all of the country’s town halls.
The scope of the project extends beyond municipal offices. It plans to connect 1,488 public schools, representing 22% of public schools and serving 760,000 students, as well as 253 health centers, equivalent to 30% of public health facilities.
The training component, based on preliminary estimates, is expected to reach 100,000 beneficiaries through Digital Academy programs, 700,000 users of the knowledge network, and support the incubation of 150 startups within the technological innovation center.
In this context, the connected infrastructure will serve as hubs to extend broadband connectivity to nearby households and businesses.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo becomes Cameroon’s No.2 supplier in Q2-2025, driven by petroleum products
Togo became Cameroon’s second-largest supplier by import value in the second quarter of 2025, driven mainly by petroleum product shipments worth 162.7 billion CFA francs, according to data from the Cameroon National Shippers’ Council cited by Business in Cameroon.
The ranking underscores the role of the Togolese corridor in regional energy supply chains and reflects a long-standing pattern. Togo consistently ranks among the top three suppliers to neighboring countries, particularly in Central Africa, largely due to transshipment and re-export activity at the Port of Lomé.
In 2020, the country was already Cameroon’s leading African supplier, mainly through transshipped fuels and lubricants. The same dynamic was observed in Gabon in 2022, when Togolese exports were valued at 41.6 billion CFA francs, according to customs data.
Togo is seeking to build on its geographic and logistical advantages. Ongoing investments, including dredging works to allow larger vessels to call at the port, are expected to further consolidate Lomé’s position as a regional logistics hub.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
WANEP-Togo reports security gains in 2025 despite rising incidents
WANEP-Togo, the Togolese chapter of the West African Network for Peacebuilding, released its 2025 annual security report in Lomé, Togo, on Feb. 4, 2026. Drawing on data from the National Early Warning System (NEWS-Togo), the report offers a nuanced assessment of the country’s security situation. It portrays a security environment combining measurable progress with persistent vulnerabilities.
A total of 629 incidents were recorded nationwide in 2025, a 40% increase from 2024. The rise was driven mainly by an increase in incidents linked to democracy and governance, which accounted for 424 cases. The report also recorded 108 cases of gender-based violence and 52 incidents related to environmental and health risks.
WANEP-Togo said electoral periods and certain sociopolitical events contributed to spikes in incidents, particularly between February and July.
At the same time, the report highlights several encouraging developments. The number of deaths linked to security incidents fell by more than 36%, dropping from 245 in 2024 to 157 in 2025.
Incidents related to organized crime and violent extremism also declined by nearly half, from 87 to 45 cases. WANEP-Togo attributed this improvement to capacity-building efforts for the defence and security forces, improved reporting mechanisms, and greater involvement of local communities.
Significant challenges remain. The north of the country continues to face threats from armed incursions, while sexual violence, disappearances, road accidents, and local conflicts persist, affecting human security. The Savanes region, particularly the prefectures of Kpendjal and Kpendjal-Ouest, is identified as a high-risk area amid ongoing security pressures.
As the jihadist threat persists along the northern border, public authorities have launched several initiatives and projects with the support of technical and financial partners to strengthen community resilience. As the response extends beyond military action, the government has introduced a “social shield” worth several billion CFA francs.
This strategy includes the Emergency Programme for Strengthening Resilience in the Savanes Region (PURS) and the Social Cohesion of the Northern Regions of the Gulf of Guinea (COSO) project, funded by the World Bank. Total funding has been increased to $83 million, or about 50 billion CFA francs, following an extension dedicated to refugee management. The project aims to reduce social divisions in vulnerable areas.
WANEP-Togo is the national branch of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, a civil society organisation dedicated to conflict prevention and resolution in the sub-region. It works to promote political and social stability through early warning mechanisms, mediation, and capacity-building for local actors and women.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Afropéennes Festival Returns to Lomé, Spotlighting Island Sounds and Rising Togolese Talent
Lomé will host the fourth instalment of the Les Afropéennes from February 20 to 22, 2026. Now firmly established on the Togolese capital’s cultural calendar, the event brings together Togolese and international artists exploring musical exchanges between Africa and Europe.
Organised by Togo Créatif, the festival will take place at the Cacaveli market and the Institut Français du Togo. This year’s lineup mixes established performers with emerging talent, with a particular focus on island music, highlighting islands as hubs of cultural exchange and artistic transformation.
Togolese artists including Dieudonné Wila, Joachim Migos, Dogo du Togo and Senzaa will perform alongside musicians from Cape Verde, the Republic of the Congo, Réunion Island, Guadeloupe and the United States.
According to festival programmer Florent de la Tullaye, Les Afropéennes aims to introduce Lomé audiences to artists who are little known locally but recognised elsewhere, while giving well-known Togolese performers the opportunity to reach new audiences.
Beyond the concerts, the 2026 edition will feature an Open Mic competition dedicated to freestyle rap and singing, aimed at helping young artists break through. The finals will be held before a professional jury and a live audience.
From left to right: Tam Hakeem Toutou (Hakim Toutou Tamandja), a cultural promoter and festival partner, and Florent de la Tullaye, the festival’s programmer, during a presentation of the Open Mic concept for Les Afropéennes 2026.
Attendance has continued to rise in recent years. The festival drew nearly 5,000 spectators in both 2023 and 2024, before climbing to around 8,000 in 2025. Similar growth is expected this year, with off-site sessions planned in youth-oriented neighbourhoods such as Agoè for the Open Mic segment.
The festival is funded under the Togo Créatif programme, supported by the European Union with €6.16 million over six years. The multi-year initiative covers several creative sectors, particularly the performing arts. According to Stéphane Blanchon, director of the Institut Français du Togo, the funding supports training, artistic creation and the promotion of Togolese artists in Togo and abroad.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi