Togo First
Togo opens applications to upgrade digital capacity of startup support organizations
Togolese authorities have launched a call for expressions of interest to strengthen the digital capabilities of entrepreneurship and innovation support organizations (SAEIs). The initiative targets organizations based in the country seeking to improve their support for startups and technology projects.
The program aims to improve their effectiveness and strengthen their role within the African entrepreneurial ecosystem.
According to details published on Togo’s Digital Economy Portal, the initiative seeks to bring the practices of Togolese SAEIs in line with international standards for startup support.
It also includes the creation of a certification label developed in collaboration with Afric’Innov, a pan-African network specializing in support for incubators and innovation hubs.
SAEIs play a key role in developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem by supporting entrepreneurs, facilitating access to financing and promoting an entrepreneurial culture across the country.
Authorities aim to strengthen these organizations so they can act as accelerators of local innovation.
The initiative comes as digital technologies expand rapidly and the fourth industrial revolution reshapes the sector, alongside the recent emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools that are expected to drive further change in an ecosystem that still faces significant challenges in Togo.
Interested organizations can submit their applications online through the government’s dedicated platform. The deadline is March 20, 2026.
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ProMIFA backs school gardens to strengthen feeding programs in northern Togo
The Project to Support the Incentive Mechanism for Agricultural Financing through Risk Sharing (ProMIFA) is expanding school feeding support in northern Togo, particularly in the Savanes and Kara regions. Last month, the program officially handed over plots of land to 10 public primary schools for the development of school gardens.
The schools are located in the prefectures of Dankpen, Kpendjal and Kpendjal-Ouest, areas with high levels of nutritional vulnerability. The beneficiary institutions include EPP Ocrédo, Tangnamboul, Djabagbal, Djampil and Nagnine in Dankpen, as well as Bombengou, Kpentidjoaga, Dakalfam, Tantidjoaga and Bagré Kouampant in the Savanes region.
The gardens are intended to supply school cafeterias with fresh vegetables, which are often scarce during the dry season. The project includes the installation of wire fencing covering 600 square meters, concrete foundations and a drip irrigation system. Funded by ProMIFA, the work is expected to be completed within 90 days.
Beyond food production, the initiative also has an educational dimension. Students will be introduced to gardening and basic ecological farming practices. Technical support will be provided to school management committees by the Institute for Agricultural Advisory and Technical Support (ICAT).
The initiative is part of a broader national effort to expand school feeding programs. During the 2022-2023 school year, cafeterias served around 22 million meals to more than 218,000 students in 1,284 public schools across the country.
Other measures are also being implemented to improve the nutritional value of meals. Authorities recently delivered 244 metric tons of locally sourced products, including enriched flour and smoked fish, to several rural schools. Meanwhile, the University of Lomé is conducting exploratory work to strengthen links between the school cafeteria program and local agricultural producers.
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Togo Reviews Progress of Land Reform Project Backed by MCC Threshold Program
Togolese authorities and land sector stakeholders met last week in Lomé to assess progress under the Land Reform for Agricultural Productivity Project (LRAP). The national consultation workshop was organized by OMCA-Togo, the agency implementing the Millennium Challenge Account program, in coordination with the Ministry of Territorial Planning, Urban Development and Housing.
The workshop brought together representatives of local governments, traditional authorities, researchers, technical and financial partners, and communities from pilot sites.
Lessons from Land Reform Pilots
Discussions focused on results achieved in the communes of Oti-Sud 2, Dankpen 2, Tchamba 3, Wawa 2 and Zio 4, where participatory land management approaches were piloted.
The interventions aimed to strengthen conflict prevention, improve the security of land use rights and promote more inclusive access to land, particularly for women and young people.
According to the Ministry of Territorial Planning and Urban Development, the pilot programs helped build the capacity of local stakeholders and strengthen mechanisms for resolving land disputes in the targeted areas.
Minister Sévon-Tépé Kodjo Adédzé said the results lay the groundwork for continued reform.
"The LRAP project, which provides this framework for exchange, is one of the two projects under the Threshold Program. Although the Threshold Program ended prematurely, it delivered on its promises, with Togo's eligibility for the Compact program," he said.
The minister added that this eligibility was just one outcome of the "structural reforms" pursued by the government in recent years.
Results to Feed Into Land Reform
Data presented at the workshop showed the project mapped 37.5% of the targeted land area and helped resolve several land disputes in certain pilot localities.
These results are expected to inform the drafting of implementing decrees under the Land and State Property Code and improve land governance in rural areas.
"The performance recorded by our country on the eligibility indicators is a strong signal of Togo's credibility and its commitment to continuing reforms that improve the environment for productive investment," Minister Adédzé added.
The LRAP was part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program, an agreement between Togo and the United States designed to support institutional reforms and remove certain constraints to growth. The program had a budget of approximately 21 billion CFA francs and comprised two main components: land reform through the LRAP and a project to modernize the information technology sector.
The program was among those affected by the freeze on foreign aid ordered by the administration of Donald Trump in January 2025. That decision halted several ongoing projects in the country across sectors ranging from health to security.
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Mayor Koubouni Touni elected president of Togo’s Federation of Municipalities
Koubouni Touni, mayor of Doufelgou 2, was elected last week to lead the Federation of Municipalities of Togo (FCT). She was elected at a general assembly held in Kara, succeeding Yawa Kouigan, the current minister of communication and former mayor of Ogou 1.
During her term, Koubouni Touni and her executive board will focus on strengthening cooperation between municipalities and supporting local development. The leadership team will also work to strengthen the role of local authorities in national development.
Among the stated priorities is support for decentralization. The new president also intends to encourage municipalities to adopt strategic tools in areas such as local governance, territorial marketing and sustainable development.
"We will continue the work undertaken to make the Federation of Municipalities of Togo a platform for solidarity, consultation and collective action to support the development of our communities and the well-being of our populations," Koubouni Touni said.
Created in 2020, the Federation of Municipalities of Togo serves as a consultation and representation body for local authorities, aiming to promote inter-municipal cooperation and strengthen the voice of municipalities in national public policy.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo Integrates Digital Surveillance Platform with Product Marking System
Togo's Digital Marketing Intelligence platform will now be integrated with the country's automated product marking system, authorities said, as a series of training sessions for inspectors got underway in late February 2026.
The training, organized by the commission overseeing the Système automatisé de marquage (SAM), targets inspectors from the Office togolais des recettes (OTR) and the Ministry of Commerce.
The DMI is described as an advanced market surveillance platform. The tool enables proactive anomaly detection through automated data analysis, digital inspection tools and full traceability of each inspection. Its stated aim is to optimize field inspections and strengthen oversight of products subject to secure fiscal marking.
By automating the collection and processing of field data, the platform is designed to identify risks more quickly, detect potentially counterfeit products and flag suspicious activity.
The platform was developed by the Togolese subsidiary of the SICPA group. Following the training sessions, the DMI supervision team will provide technical support to ensure inspectors can use the system effectively.
A Technical Monitoring Committee, known by its French acronym CTS, will also be established. It will be composed of representatives from the three entities involved. The committee's mandate will be to analyze and validate alerts generated by the system, issue inspection assignments to regional managers, and monitor results and evaluate performance.
The SAM has been operational in Togo since 2020. The system is designed to combat fraud, secure consumer products and improve tax collection. Between 2020 and 2025, it generated approximately 35.8 billion CFA francs in revenue for the tax authorities.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo raises 22 bln CFA francs on regional debt market
Togo raised 22 billion CFA francs on the regional financial market on Friday, exceeding its initial target of 20 billion CFA francs. This transaction, coordinated by UMOA-Titres, represents the country’s first issuance on the regional market this year. It was conducted through a simultaneous issuance of Treasury bonds (OAT) and Treasury bills (BAT).
According to results published by UMOA-Titres, total bids reached 176 billion CFA francs, representing a subscription rate of 880.97%. At the close of the operation, the Treasury accepted 14.7 billion CFA francs in bids for three-year OATs carrying a fixed interest rate of 6.15%. An additional 7.2 billion CFA francs was raised through five-year OATs at an annual interest rate of 6.35%. The Togolese Treasury did not accept any bids for the BATs.
This operation marks Togo’s first intervention on the regional financial market for the 2026 fiscal year. For the full year, the country plans to raise 463.5 billion CFA francs on this market. These funds will help finance the state budget, which is set at 2,751 billion CFA francs.
Esaïe Edoh
Luxembourg, through LuxDev, to finance higher education projects in Togo
Luxembourg’s development cooperation agency, LuxDev, will finance two projects in Togo’s higher education sector focused on the Polytechnic School of Lomé (EPL) and the Center of Excellence in Quality and Safety of Care (CEQSS).
The two projects were discussed during a meeting held on Feb. 27, 2026, in Lomé. The meeting brought together Gado Tchangbédji, Minister Delegate for Higher Education and Scientific Research, and a delegation from LuxDev.
The project for the Polytechnic School of Lomé aims to strengthen professional training in engineering fields. It is scheduled to launch on March 17.
The project for the Center of Excellence in Quality and Safety of Care aims to place quality at the core of health training. It will also support the establishment of a center of excellence dedicated to academic training and applied research.
According to Minister Gado Tchangbédji, the two projects are part of the government’s efforts to strengthen human capital. They also align with the University of Lomé’s ambition to provide high-quality training for students.
The initiatives will further strengthen cooperation between Luxembourg and Togo. Luxembourg already supports several development projects in the country, particularly in environmental protection and capacity building.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo approves bill updating environmental law and introducing carbon tax
Togo’s National Assembly has approved at first reading a bill amending the May 30, 2008 framework environmental law. Lawmakers passed the text on Thursday, March 5, 2026, during the third plenary sitting of the year’s first extraordinary session.
The government-backed reform aims to update the country’s legislative framework in response to growing environmental challenges. The move comes as Togo faces the effects of climate change, coastal erosion, pressure on forest resources and soil degradation.
According to Aklesso Atcholé, president of the Union for the Republic (UNIR) parliamentary group, the initiative seeks to address evolving environmental issues and align national legislation with the country’s international commitments.
The bill introduces several new policy tools, including the concepts of the green economy, circular economy and green mobility, as well as a carbon tax.
“The text establishes new paradigms and reinforces the need to better protect the environment and prepare for climate challenges,” Environment Minister Dodzi Kokoroko told lawmakers.
“It introduces new economic models such as the green economy, green mobility and the circular economy. It also provides a mechanism to mobilize climate finance through the creation of a carbon tax and the operationalization of the National Environment Fund,” he added.
The bill must still be approved by the Senate. The reform forms part of a broader effort by the government to strengthen the country’s climate policy framework.
In 2023, authorities adopted a decree regulating carbon management mechanisms aimed at promoting carbon storage and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2024, the government also launched work on a national strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.
During the same session, lawmakers also approved a law extending the security state of emergency in the Savanes region. They also passed legislation amending the harmonized legal and fiscal regime governing the West African Gas Pipeline project in Togo.
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Togo advances reform to centralise SME and youth entrepreneurship support
Togo’s National Assembly has passed a bill on first reading to transfer the mandate and assets of the Youth Economic Initiatives Support Fund (FAIEJ) to the Agency for the Development of Very Small, Small and Medium Enterprises (ADTPME). The vote took place on Thursday, March 5, 2026, during the third sitting of the year’s first extraordinary parliamentary session.
The reform aims to streamline public support schemes for entrepreneurship. Authorities cited the need to create synergies between existing programmes, avoid institutional overlaps and improve the effectiveness of policies supporting very small and small enterprises.
“The transfer we have requested goes beyond a simple administrative change. Above all, it will allow our country to continue modernising its support mechanisms for the economy and youth employment,” said Mazamaesso Assih, Minister of Grassroots Development and Social and Solidarity Economy, who defended the bill before lawmakers.
According to Semondji Mawussi Djossou, chairman of the National Assembly’s finance and economic development committee, the initiative is part of reforms launched with the creation of ADTPME in 2022. The agency has already begun to deliver results, prompting the government to propose integrating FAIEJ’s activities into this framework, he said.
The reform also provides for the transfer of FAIEJ personnel, assets and liabilities to ADTPME. The government says the measure should ensure a smooth operational transition and preserve jobs linked to the fund’s programmes.
Created to support youth economic initiatives, FAIEJ has provided technical and financial support, notably through loans and guarantees for micro-projects. Between 2012 and March 2024, the programme says it helped create more than 26,000 sustainable jobs and mobilised 8.63 billion FCFA in financing.
The bill will now be sent to the Senate for examination. After that stage, it will return to the National Assembly for final approval, in line with legislative procedure.
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Six financial institutions in Togo join BCEAO instant payment platform
Six institutions in Togo are now authorized to offer services to the public through the Interoperable Instant Payment System Platform (PI-SPI), double the three institutions approved when the system was launched in September 2025.
The authorized institutions are BIA, Bank of Africa (BOA), Coris Bank, Ecobank, Orabank and Cofina.
These institutions can now offer instant payment services introduced by the regional monetary authority, according to a list published by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) on February 24, 2026.
The PI-SPI platform enables instant transfers between banks, microfinance institutions, electronic money issuers and payment institutions. Transactions are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with funds settled instantly between accounts.
Launched last year, the system aims to modernize payment infrastructure across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) by facilitating transfers between financial institutions and improving interoperability between banking services and electronic money wallets.
The main challenge will be public adoption and whether financial institutions actively promote the platform in their services.
Several factors may explain the cautious approach of some institutions. Beyond the technical integration required to adapt IT systems for real-time transactions and connect to the regional infrastructure, institutions must also meet stricter requirements in risk management and cybersecurity. They must also adjust their operations to continuous real-time transfers.
Some institutions may also be assessing the economic impact of the system, as faster and cheaper transfers could reduce certain traditional fees.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi