Togo First
Togo Prepares for Gas Pipeline Maintenance Disruption
The West African Gas Pipeline is being maintained. Started on February 5, the works are set to end on March 2, 2024. They could disrupt electricity supplies in Togo, Benin, and Ghana. Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (CEET), Togo’s power utility, is already planning measures to curb the disruption’s impact on the Togolese people.
In the event of a disruption, Togolese authorities will use liquid fuels to power thermal plants and import up to 35 MW of additional electricity. They also plan to speed up the installation of a 25 MW turbine connected to the West African Gas Pipeline (WAPG).
The gas pipeline is crucial for transporting natural gas to thermal power plants in the region, and it significantly affects the energy supply for Togo, Benin, and Ghana. Togo relies heavily on Nigerian gas for electricity, making this maintenance particularly important.
In addition to these technical solutions, authorities may introduce energy rationing to ensure fair distribution during this period. A daily rationing plan similar to those used during past disruptions in 2024 could be introduced if needed.
Esaïe Edoh
BOA Togo and Fondation Agir Ensemble pour l’Afrique Team Up to Empower Businesswomen
BOA Togo, the Togolese branch of the Bank of Africa Group, has teamed up with the Fondation Agir Ensemble pour l'Afrique (AEA) to support women entrepreneurs. This partnership is part of the "Le Bond Féminin" program, which aims to provide financial tools and resources for Togolese women in business.
The agreement focuses on three key areas: providing women entrepreneurs with training to enhance their business skills, establishing a mentoring program to connect them with experts for personalized guidance, and facilitating access to financing by helping selected participants secure loans and funding through BOA Togo.
An initial fund of CFA50 million has already been set aside to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This initiative aims to create a better environment for women to succeed in a changing economy.
This partnership reflects BOA Togo's commitment to empowering women and promoting an inclusive economy. In 2023, the bank also signed two financing agreements totaling CFA1.5 billion with the Association des Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises du Togo (AFCET) and the LIM IMPACT group, further supporting women entrepreneurs in Togo.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: Launch of the Public Investment Program for 2026-2028
Togo has officially launched its new Public Investment Program (PIP) for 2026-2028. Disclosed on January 30, 2025, in Lomé, the initiative aims to streamline public investments and align projects with the government’s 2020-2025 roadmap and sustainable development goals.
The program was launched in the presence of Presidential Advisors, Cabinet Directors, General Secretaries of ministries, and representatives from the public and financial sectors. On the occasion, Edjéou Essohanam, Director of Cabinet at the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Cooperation, highlighted deep reforms to help better manage public investments.
These reforms will establish strict criteria for selecting and prioritizing projects to ensure they are relevant and fit within budget limits. The Togolese government wants to make public spending more effective, amid ongoing economic crises over the continent, and the world.
Tight Monitoring
The 2026-2028 PIP will use a detailed process for data collection, evaluation, and validation. By February 10, 2025, ministries and public institutions must submit feasibility reports, detailed project descriptions, and financing agreements.
Togo has committed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to keep its budget deficit at 3% of GDP. As a result, the government will focus on actions that significantly impact its citizens.
Under the 2025 Finance Act, Togo plans to allocate about CFA540 billion to investment projects.
The PIP process will continue until March 2025.
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Germany-Togo Partnership: Nearly €300 Million Mobilized Since 2021
Since 2021, Germany has provided €294.3 million (CFA193 billion) to support reforms and investments in Togo. This funding is part of the G20's Compact With Africa initiative and focuses on improving the business environment, vocational training, agro-industrial transformation, agricultural value chains, decentralization, and regional development.
The announcement was made during the Intergovernmental Consultations on Development Cooperation held in Lomé from January 27 to 30, 2025. These discussions are in preparation for bilateral negotiations planned for late 2025 in Berlin.
A Lasting Financial Commitment Until 2027
In 2024, Germany allocated €15 million (CFA9.8 billion) for projects covering fiber optics and digitizing town halls. Another €11 million (CFA7.2 billion) was provided to help improve resilience in northern Togo, including funding school canteens.
The recent meeting reviewed ongoing projects and set priorities for the future. Overall, Germany has committed €530.91 million (CFA347.75 billion) to projects running through 2027, making it one of Togo’s most important development partners.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Umoa-Securities: Togo Seeks CFA25 Billion
Togo plans to raise CFA25 billion on the West African Monetary Union’s public securities market this Friday, February 7. The country’s Treasury will issue short-term government bonds, known as fungible bills (BAT), to secure the funds.
Each bond will have a nominal value of CFA1 million, a three-month maturity period, and varying interest rates. The money raised will help finance Togo’s 2025 budget, which amounts to CFA2,397 billion.
This year, Togo aims to raise a total of CFA332 billion from the regional financial market. So far, it has already secured CFA44 billion through two earlier operations in January, achieving 13% of its annual goal.
Esaïe Edoh
Faure Gnassingbé: “Economic Integration Alone Won’t Solve Africa’s Problems”
Economic integration is important for Africa to build a common market, but it is not enough to fix the continent’s deeper challenges. This was the core message Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé shared at the Dialogues on Prosperity in Africa (APD 2025), held on February 1, 2025, in Accra, Ghana.
President Gnassingbé, a key advocate for the Single Market for Air Transport in Africa (MUTAA) since 2018, shared a three-part plan to make Africa’s economy stronger and more independent.
Beyond Trade
Gnassingbé claimed that regional integration should be a leverage that helps Africa be more resilient to external shocks and become self-sufficient. Setting up a common market, he stressed, should not just be about opening up trade. The move should pair with a balanced model, which ensures a fair distribution of profits among concerned economic stakeholders while integrating key disparities that exist between African countries.
“Economic integration alone won’t solve Africa’s structural problems, like economic inequalities or geographical disparities,” the Togolese leader said. These disparities, he noted, should be integrated into regional development strategies.
To make integration work, Gnassingbé recommends drawing practical solutions that consider these differences and provide support for weaker economies. “The idea is not just to liberalize trade but to build a sovereign economic ecosystem,” he said.
Infrastructure Is Key to Reducing Inequalities
Better infrastructure—roads, ports, railways, and digital networks—is primordial for efficient economic integration and bridge inequalities, Togo’s n°1 said. He thus called for substantial investments in crossborder infrastructure, to link rural and landlocked areas to major economic hubs, and facilitate the movement of goods, services, and capital across the continent.
President Gnassingbé also pushed for creating economic corridors that link industrial and agricultural zones, and he suggested simplifying customs procedures with one-stop shops. In this regard, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA seems ideal to coordinate these projects and bolster the continent’s economic cohesion.
Esaïe Doh
Togo Plans Subcontracting Exchange to Support SMEs
The Togolese government and private sector are working together to improve cooperation between large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). At the Subcontracting and Partnerships Forum in Lomé on January 30, 2025, they discussed creating a subcontracting exchange to help SMEs connect with larger companies.
This forum was part of the second edition of the Private Sector Days which gathered government officials, business leaders, financial institutions, and SME representatives. The theme was "Partnership between large companies and SMEs: a lever for economic development." The discussions highlighted the need for a structured system to help SMEs access the markets of larger firms.
On the occasion, Rose Kayi Mivedor, the Minister of Commerce, stressed the importance of supporting the private sector for sustainable development. “Given the private sector’s importance for our country's development, its promotion must remain a priority,” she said.
The proposed subcontracting exchange could be a digital platform where large companies post their subcontracting needs, and qualified SMEs offer their services. Aboki Vignon, President of the Groupement Togolais des Très Petites, Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (GTPME)(Micro, small, and medium-sized business group), pointed out that while SMEs make up 90% of businesses in Togo, they often struggle to join larger value chains. Jonas Daou from the Association des Grandes Entreprisesdu Togo (AGET)(Large business association) added that issues like governance, access to financing, and human resource management hinder the growth of private businesses.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo: Kifema Capital Funds Sports Complex in Golfe 7
Kifema Capital is funding a new sports complex at Adidogomé High School in the Golfe 7 commune. Construction started recently and is expected to be completed in three months.
The sports complex will include soccer pitches, basketball courts, tennis courts, children's play areas, and a restaurant.
Arthur Trimua, Managing Director of Kifema Capital, explained that the project aligns with Kifema’s ambition to secure investments for key infrastructure. The complex aims to help young people engage in sports and keep them away from idleness and crime. While the project’s cost is unknown, similar complexes are projected in other schools across Togo.
The Togolese government set up Kifema Capital to form strategic partnerships in key development areas. Part of Togo Invest, Kifema was involved in several projects, including a 65 MW Kekeli Efficient power plant.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo: Chamber of Commerce and Industry Wants to Develop SMEs into Big Businesses of the Future
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo) wants to increase the number of large companies in Togo to 90% of the economy. The Chamber shared their ambition with Prime Minister Victoire Dogbé on January 30, 2025, in Lomé.
Currently, very small, small, and medium-sized enterprises (VSSMEs) make up about 90% of businesses in Togo. CCI-Togo aims to change this by helping these businesses grow into large companies.
José Symenouh, President of CCI-Togo, believes that existing large companies should help smaller ones succeed. He said, “For example, companies like Ecobank and Zener can pull the smaller ones up.”
To support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), CCI-Togo plans to secure financing and attract foreign investors. They also want to overcome language barriers by creating a “Business Language” center to help Togolese business people communicate with international partners.
As a link between the private sector and the government, CCI-Togo plays an important role in promoting the interests of Togolese businesses. They focus on strengthening trade, industry, and services nationally and internationally.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo Implements Territorial Marketing Strategy in Kpalimé, Kara, and Aného
Togo has launched a territorial marketing strategy to boost the economic and tourism potential of five key towns: Atakpamé, Kpalimé, Blitta, Kara, and Aného. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Industry and Investment Promotion (MIPI) and supported by GIZ, was introduced in Atakpamé on January 30, 2025, by Minister Manuella Santos.
Through the project, the government seeks to reduce the concentration of development in Lomé, the capital, where over 60% of businesses and 71% of jobs are located. This strategy aims to promote regional assets, attract investors, improve infrastructure, develop key industries, and grow tourism. Set to run until 2029, the program will involve setting up special economic zones (ZES), building tourist circuits, and establishing industrial units tailored to each town.
Kpalimé: Tourism and Agribusiness
Kpalimé is known for its natural beauty and handicrafts but lacks structured tourism. There, the project includes building modern hotels, developing ecotourism trails, and improving attractions like Kloto Mountain and Womé waterfalls. Authorities also aim to boost local processing of coffee and cocoa.
Kara: Building a Training and Agro-Industrial Center
Kara is developing into a training and agro-industrial hub. With its university and technical schools, the city aims to train a skilled workforce for the agri-food industry. It is also home to an agropolis development project in its pilot phase. The goal is to create processing units for key crops like cereals, shea, soya, and cotton.
A solar power plant will also be installed in the northern city to meet growing energy demands and ensure a stable power supply for local industries. The plan is to transform Kara into a growth hub for Northern Togo, focusing on training, industrialization, and innovation.
Aného: Ecotourism and Heritage Enhancement
Aného, the former colonial capital, plans to leverage its history and natural beauty to become a tourist destination. The government aims to restore important sites, improve hotel services, and create a tourist circuit linking Aného with cultural sites in neighboring Benin. The program will also promote seaside tourism and introduce ecological initiatives to protect local biodiversity.
Atakpamé: Evolving Agricultural and Industrial Center
Strategically located between the north and south of Togo, Atakpamé is set to become a regional hub for agri-food processing. The town has fertile land suitable for growing yams, vegetables, and tropical fruits, along with a tradition of livestock and fish farming. The goal is to attract industries that can process these products locally, reducing reliance on imports and adding value. Marketing campaigns will encourage investing in road and energy infrastructure to support new businesses. Atakpamé also wants to highlight its cultural assets to attract visitors through nature tourism and handicrafts.
Blitta: Facing Challenges in Setting Up a Special Economic Zone
Blitta, located in central Togo, is a key part of the country’s development plan. With its large land area and low urbanization, the town has a large untapped agricultural potential, especially in cash crops and livestock. To unlock this potential, the government plans to create a special economic zone (ZES) to attract industrial investments and promote local processing of agricultural products.
The strategy also includes upgrading transportation infrastructure and building a logistics network to turn Blitta into an agro-industrial distribution hub. This will require training local workers and improving access to basic services, like electricity and clean water.
The Togolese government has dedicated a budget to promote regional development and enhance territorial branding. This funding will be complemented by significant investments in infrastructure and special economic zones (SEZs), supported through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and international donors.
A Funding Plan to Support Aspirations
To attract investors, the government will organize investment forums in the five target cities, connecting local authorities with national and foreign investors. The strategy emphasizes digital tools, including social media campaigns, multimedia content, dedicated city platforms, and cultural events like festivals.
This ambitious plan aims to rebalance Togo's economic development by leveraging the potential of its regions.
Fiacre E. Kakpo