Togo First
Togo launches programme to train 240 women in heavy truck driving
Togo will train 240 women to drive heavy trucks as part of the Lomé-Ouagadougou-Niamey Economic Corridor Project (PCE-LON), an initiative aimed at increasing women's participation in a sector long dominated by men while addressing growing demand for qualified drivers in road transport.
The women will undergo a three-month training programme combining theory, practical driving and a certification phase. Participants will receive a Professional Female Heavy Truck Driver Certificate upon completion. Training covers licence categories C, D and E, depending on each participant’s pathway.
A first cohort of 40 women, who began the programme several weeks ago, has now entered the certification phase. Six cohorts of 40 women will be trained in 2026, bringing the total to 240 beneficiaries.
"This is an important opportunity for us. We are learning a trade that opens real professional prospects. We never would have imagined accessing this sector before," said Logossè Ayabavi, a participant in the first cohort.
The PCE-LON is financed by the World Bank with $120 million and implemented by the transport ministry through the Directorate of Road and Rail Transport (DTRF). The project forms part of broader efforts to modernise transport infrastructure and strengthen regional connectivity along the corridor.
The programme also targets broader social objectives, including reducing gender stereotypes in heavy vehicle driving and expanding employment opportunities for women.
Gautier Agbekodovi
Gozem in talks to secure €21 million from IFC to fund expansion
Gozem, the fintech and mobility platform launched in Togo in 2018, is in talks to secure €21 million in funding from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group.
The funding would support the company’s expansion in Togo, Benin, Cameroon and Congo.
The financing would include an €8 million direct IFC loan, an €8 million subordinated loan backed by concessional IDA21 resources, and €5 million raised from other investors.
The funds would be used between 2026 and 2028 to finance the acquisition of motorcycles, tricycles and cars, while expanding the “Drive-to-Buy” program.
The program allows drivers to gradually acquire their vehicles through payments spread over 12 to 52 months. Repayments are deducted from drivers’ earnings on the platform.
Togo remains a key market for Gozem, where the company launched its first operations before expanding across the region. In 2022, the company raised $10 million to finance vehicles for 6,000 drivers in Togo and Benin.
Beyond urban transport, Gozem is developing delivery and digital payment services through Gozem Money, as consumer habits rapidly digitize.
According to the company, nearly 12 million drivers operated in the motorcycle-taxi segment in West and Central Africa in 2022. Gozem says it has completed more than 30 million trips and built a user base of nearly one million.
The funding round could strengthen Lomé’s position as a base for regional expansion, as Togo seeks to attract more investment in the digital economy.
R.E.D
Togo adopts new strategy to mobilize diaspora investment
Togo has confirmed plans to more systematically harness the economic contribution of its diaspora. Authorities last week approved a new national strategy in Lomé to mobilize and engage Togolese abroad, updating a framework first introduced thirteen years ago.
The strategy aims to turn a largely untapped and fragmented resource into a structured development lever. It was developed with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the SDE4R project, titled “Streamlining Diaspora Engagement to Catalyze Private Investment and Entrepreneurship for Enhanced Resilience.”
The initiative is designed to boost private investment, entrepreneurship and economic resilience by leveraging diaspora resources.
The government plans to better align financial flows, expertise and networks from Togolese abroad with national priorities. Target sectors include entrepreneurship, innovation, agriculture and the financing of productive projects.
“It is about planning and structuring how both the government and the diaspora contribute to the country’s development,” said Edem Komi Amoudokpo, director of Togolese abroad.
A national diaspora registry has also been launched to map skills, expertise and investment capacity among nationals overseas.
According to official estimates, nearly one million Togolese were living abroad at the end of 2022, though other sources put the figure as high as 1.5 million. This population represents a significant source of remittances, real estate investment, trade and business creation.
As part of this effort, Togo is drawing on the experience of countries such as Morocco, Senegal and Mali, which have established dedicated mechanisms to engage their diaspora communities.
R.E.D
University of Lomé joins Campus 42 digital training network
The University of Lomé has joined the Campus 42 project. The program was officially launched last weekend, during a visit to Togo by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot.
Focused on training in computer programming and artificial intelligence, the project was launched by Public Service and Digital Transformation Minister Cina Lawson. It is based on an innovative teaching model with no instructors or traditional lectures, built around project-based learning, hands-on practice and solving real-world problems.
The campus aims to train hundreds of young Togolese in the most in-demand digital skills each year. Particular emphasis is placed on including those without traditional academic backgrounds, promoting women's participation in the technology sector, and ensuring the training matches private sector needs.
For Togolese authorities, the initiative is part of a broader strategy to position digital technology as a driver of economic and social transformation. "This project embodies our ambition to make digital technology a lever for economic and social transformation, by offering Togolese youth practical opportunities for the future," Lawson said.
France is backing the initiative, which also seeks to strengthen ties between French and Togolese companies while helping train future talent. "France is proud to support Togo in this ambitious initiative," Barrot said.
The project is financed and implemented by the Axian Group through Yas Togo, with the support of European partners including France, as part of a regional push to develop digital skills.
Campus 42 was launched in France in 2013 as an unconventional programming school based on peer learning, hands-on projects and a level-based progression system inspired by video games. In Africa, it is already operating in Madagascar and Morocco.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo advances Kara industrial park with Chinese agreement
Togo has moved a step closer to establishing an industrial park in the northern city of Kara after signing an agreement with a Chinese business association late last week.
The Hebei Province Association of Enterprises and Culture signed the deal with Togolese authorities in Kara, marking a key step forward for the project. The signing follows several rounds of talks between the two sides.
The agreement allows for the phased development of manufacturing plants in the region. Targeted sectors include agri-food processing, renewable energy, and the assembly of electrical equipment and machinery.
Backed by Chinese investment, the project is expected to accelerate the country's industrialization, support job creation, and boost local processing of raw materials. The park’s location in Kara is also expected to support agricultural development in the region, which already hosts the pilot phase of an agropole project.
Details on the site’s size and total investment have not been disclosed. Authorities say the infrastructure is intended to act as a driver of economic growth in northern Togo.
The project is part of broader efforts to deepen Sino-Togolese cooperation, reaffirmed at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2024.
Already pursuing an industrialization strategy through the Adétikopé Industrial Platform (PIA), Togo aims to diversify its industrial hubs with the new park. The initiative is expected to complement ongoing projects, including one announced in Agbélouvé in the Plateaux region.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo’s Galley elected president of regional telecom regulators
Michel Yaovi Galley of Togo is the new president of the Association of Telecommunications Regulators of West Africa (ARTAO). The director general of Togo's Electronic Communications and Posts Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) was elected at the organization's 23rd Annual General Assembly, held last week in Lomé.
Galley succeeds Guinea-Bissau's Herri Mané and takes office with an agenda focused on strengthening regulatory harmonization and regional cooperation. Under his predecessor, the organization made progress in collaboration among regulators from ECOWAS, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and Mauritania. It also launched initiatives in areas such as cybersecurity, digital inclusion, regional connectivity and digital governance.
A former vice president of the organization, Galley is expected to maintain this approach, aiming to accelerate the modernization of telecommunications regulation across West Africa. He was elected for a one-year term.
ARTAO serves as a platform for cooperation among telecommunications and information and communications technology (ICT) regulators in West Africa. Founded in 2002, the organization works to harmonize policies and regulatory frameworks across the region.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo unveils plans for new development roadmap, public consultations announced
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of the Council, used Togo's 66th independence anniversary to set out five principles he said should guide government policy. He also announced the imminent launch of national consultations to shape a new 2026-2031 development roadmap, marking a new stage in national planning under the Fifth Republic.
In his April 27 address to the nation, the head of government framed his vision around five key themes: viewing independence as an ongoing responsibility, strengthening sovereignty and resilience, addressing social needs, preparing for the future through a new national strategy, and involving all Togolese in its implementation.
The three-part framework announced at the end of 2025 — "Protect, Unite, Transform" — remains the backbone of the future government program, according to officials.
Gnassingbé said the three pillars "are not slogans," describing them instead as principles intended to translate into tangible improvements in citizens' daily lives.
Consultations with the private sector and civil society
The President of the Council said consultations would begin in the coming weeks "with institutions, with the private sector, with civil society, with our partners." The stated goal is to inform government planning for the future roadmap and secure broad buy-in.
The announcement follows the official launch of the formulation process for the new development framework in early April.
The new roadmap will succeed the 2020-2025 program, which was 68.79% implemented, according to official data. It will be drawn up amid tighter fiscal constraints, with authorities signaling a commitment to stronger discipline, sharper prioritization and improved inter-ministerial coordination.
The government is seeking to reconcile security, social cohesion and economic transformation as the country continues to consolidate its public finances and gradually reduce its debt.
R.E.D
RAINE project enters operational phase with “Mawuse” tunneling machine
Lomé gained a new tool in its fight against seasonal flooding last week. The Grand Lomé district unveiled a DN 2000 micro-tunneling machine, named "Mawuse," during a ceremony marking the official launch of the RAINE project, short for Réseau d'Assainissement par Intercepteurs pour la Non-inondation de nos Espaces.
The micro-tunneling machine is a remotely operated boring device designed to install underground pipes without disrupting surface traffic or activity. With a diameter of two meters, the equipment will be used to lay drainage networks intended to permanently drain rainwater in flood-prone areas.
The companies overseeing the project also highlighted local industrial benefits, citing job creation and technical skills transfer to Togolese workers.
Seasonal flooding in Greater Lomé regularly causes road damage, asset losses, business disruptions and public health risks. For households and businesses alike, these recurring floods generate significant direct and indirect costs.
The government is presenting RAINE as an investment in urban resilience. "The RAINE project aims to provide a lasting solution to recurring flooding using the advanced technique of micro-tunneling," said Zouréhatou Kassah-Traoré, governor of the Autonomous District of Greater Lomé.
A Major Project Running Through 2028
Launched in July 2025, the project is scheduled to run for 33 months, with a projected completion date of May 1, 2028.
For the authorities, the stakes go beyond drainage. "This major infrastructure project marks a significant step forward in transforming the stormwater management system," said Kodjo Adedze, minister of Territorial Planning and Urban Development.
Greater Lomé encompasses 13 municipalities spread across two prefectures, Golfe and Agoè-Nyivé, surrounding the city of Lomé, with a population of nearly 2.2 million, representing more than a quarter of Togo's total population. It is the country's most populous, most urbanized and most economically active metropolitan area.
In the long term, improved stormwater management is expected to protect infrastructure, reduce flood-related economic losses and boost the area's appeal.
R.E.D
Togo inaugurates second farm mechanization center, plans wider rollout
A day after inaugurating the Regional Agricultural Mechanization Center (CRMA) in Tové, in the Plateaux region, authorities opened a second center in Tchitchao, in the Kara region, on Friday, April 24, 2026. Council President Faure Gnassingbé presided over the ceremony as part of the country’s 66th independence anniversary celebrations.
Built by the Bonkoungou Distribution Group (BKG) on a three-hectare site, the Tchitchao CRMA was developed under a 25-year public-private partnership with the Togolese state. The project has two phases.
The first phase, now complete, includes the construction of infrastructure such as three warehouses with a combined capacity of 9,000 metric tons, administrative buildings, training rooms and workshops. The second phase, covering equipment, operations and maintenance, will require more than 13 billion CFA francs in investment and will begin after the inauguration.
Like the Tové facility, the center aims to modernize farming practices and boost productivity in the Kara region, particularly among farmers in planned agricultural development zones (ZAAP). Authorities say the project reflects efforts to promote modern, value-added agriculture as a driver of economic growth.
Agriculture Minister Antoine Gbégbéni Lékpa said mechanization is key to improving yields, reducing the physical burden of farm work and attracting more young people to the sector. He added that such initiatives are essential to reducing the country’s reliance on imports.
The center will provide services including the sale, rental and maintenance of agricultural equipment, mechanization support, vocational training and support for rural entrepreneurship. Authorities plan to replicate the model in other regions following its rollout in Plateaux and Kara.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo Inaugurates New University Campus Infrastructure in Kara
Council president Faure Gnassingbé inaugurated several new facilities at the northern campus of the University of Kara over the weekend, after two years of construction.
The complex, developed through a public-private partnership with Envol Immobilier, spans nearly 18,600 square meters and includes five main buildings: the university presidency, the Faculty of Health Sciences (FSS), the Higher Institute of Agricultural Professions (ISMA), the Polytechnic and Innovation Institute (IPI), and a university restaurant designed in the style of a traditional Togolese “apatam”. The facilities required more than 15 billion CFA francs in investment and mark the first phase of the project.
Higher Education Minister Mama Omorou said the project has broader significance. “No nation develops sustainably without a solid foundation of skills, research and creativity,” he said.
The new infrastructure is expected to expand academic offerings, including the planned launch of pharmacy and dentistry (odontostomatology) programs, and increase ISMA’s capacity to about 1,000 students.
The development is part of a long-term plan to turn the campus into a regional academic hub by 2040, with nine faculties, a university hospital, student housing, visitor accommodation and sports facilities, with capacity for more than 30,000 students.
Esaïe Edoh