Togo and World Bank officials met on the sidelines of the annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group meetings in Washington to review their cooperation.

The Togolese delegation, led by Sandra Johnson, Secretary-General of the Presidency and World Bank Governor for Togo, discussed the progress of the current project portfolio and new initiatives in preparation or finalization stages.

Discussions were held between Johnson and Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa, alongside Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, Operations Manager for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea, and Togo.

The talks primarily focused on the development of Togolese agriculture through the World Bank-funded Program for the Modernization of Togolese Agriculture (ProMAT). This program aims to promote sustainable and competitive transformation of agriculture by focusing on innovation, optimizing agricultural value chains, and creating rural jobs, to establish Togo as a regional model for agricultural modernization.

Johnson reported that the two parties also finalized discussions regarding a new budget support program. This financing is intended to back economic reforms and promote job creation, particularly for youth and women.

This cooperation review occurs as the World Bank plans to mobilize more than $1.5 billion, or approximately 900 billion CFA francs, to support structural projects in priority sectors such as agriculture, energy, and the development of secondary cities under the 2025-2029 Country Partnership Framework.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo’s École Nationale d’Administration (ENA), the National School of Administration, is overhauling its curriculum to better support the country's decentralization process and meet the operational needs of its communes and regions.

New pedagogical guidelines for the second and third cycles of local authority management training were presented and validated during a workshop in Lomé this week.

The revised curriculum focuses on three core areas: administrative management, financial and accounting management, and local project management. Consultants involved in the project stated the new modules aim to make the training "more technical, practical, and aligned with national realities" to enhance the operational capabilities of future territorial administrators.

Dr. Kolani Nayandjoa, ENA’s Director of Studies for Cycle 3, said the revision is part of an ongoing adaptation effort. "Six years after the creation of the territorial authority management program, the experience gained in implementing the decentralization policy has revealed the need to adjust content to the current needs of the communes."

The school seeks to better prepare administrators for contemporary challenges, including budgetary planning, mastery of digital tools, participatory local governance, and public project management.

The initiative is supported by German cooperation as part of the PRODEG 4 program, which focuses on good governance and decentralization.

Togo is experiencing a gradual demographic transition alongside its economic transformation, with the fertility rate dropping from 6.4 to 4.3 children per woman over the past three decades. The trend was a key focus of World Population Day, observed on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

Held under the theme “Empowering Youth to Build the Families They Desire in a Just and Hopeful World,” the event underscored how demographic change is central to Togo’s sustainable development goals, a priority shared by the government and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Essohanam Edjeou, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Development Planning, said the theme reflects young people’s aspirations to start families while highlighting persistent barriers such as economic instability, limited access to reproductive health services, and the impact of climate change. He added that technological and social change is reshaping lifestyles and priorities.

According to Élise Kakam, UNFPA’s Representative in Togo, “stable employment and adequate income are now essential for enabling young people to form the families they want.”

The UNFPA’s 2025 Global Report calls for building on current progress, particularly greater gender equality, female education, and women’s economic participation, to turn declining fertility into a demographic dividend.

Despite lower fertility, Togo’s population continues to grow. The most recent census (RGPH-5) recorded 8.1 million inhabitants in 2022, up from 6.1 million in 2010, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 2.3%. Nearly 60% of Togolese are under 25, making job creation and better health services national priorities.

The government has launched programs such as Wezou for maternal health and SWEDD+ for women’s empowerment and family planning initiatives, efforts aimed at turning the demographic transition into a driver of economic opportunity.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo's financial ecosystem expanded on October 7 with the official launch of "Gozem Money," a new mobile money solution. Developed by the Lomé-based startup Gozem in partnership with NSIA Banque, the service was announced a year ago and aims to facilitate financial access for Togolese citizens while actively boosting national financial inclusion.

Gozem Money functions as a full-service e-wallet, similar to existing products such as Flooz (Moov Africa Togo) and Mix by Yas. It allows users to pay bills, shop online, transfer money and manage their finances.

The startup is counting on the growing digitalization of payments and seamless interoperability with other platforms, including bank cards and mobile money services. “Users can top up their wallets through Gozem agents or directly from their bank accounts, transfer money between operators and pay on compatible platforms,” the company said in a statement seen by Togo First.

Jean Sylvestre Nango, director of Gozem Money Togo, said the launch marks “a new step in Togo’s financial modernization.” He added, “Gozem Money shows our ambition to transform the sector and advance long-term financial inclusion.”

NSIA Banque, which partnered on the project, helped roll out the service and ensure compliance with regulations set by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), the body that oversees electronic money operations across the WAEMU region.

Max-Ange Didier Djécketh, general manager of NSIA Banque Togo, said the partnership supports the bank’s mission to “ensure every Togolese has fair, secure and modern access to financial services.”

The launch follows Gozem’s acquisition of Beninese startup Moneex earlier this year, a deal that paved the way for its new regional mobile money platform.

Esaïe Edoh

Veteran Togolese minister Gilbert Bawara has been appointed Minister of Relations with Parliament and Institutions in the first government of the Fifth Republic.

Born on March 13, 1968, in Siou (Doufelgou Prefecture), Bawara holds a degree in public law from the University of Geneva. He began his professional career in 1994 within the United Nations system, where he worked for a decade in various positions before entering the Togolese government in 2005.

Bawara’s first government role was as Minister Delegate to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and African Integration, responsible for Cooperation. Since then, he has remained one of the most prominent and consistent members of Togo’s executive branch.

Through multiple cabinet reshuffles, he has led several strategic ministries, including Development and Spatial Planning, Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Local Authorities. He has also served repeatedly as the government spokesperson, becoming a recognizable voice of executive policy.

Between 2010 and 2012, Bawara served as Special Advisor to the President of the Republic before returning to the cabinet. His career has since been marked by continuity, loyalty, and close involvement in state reform and governance.

Authorities in Yoto Prefecture, southern Togo, launched the second phase of the Integrated Water Resources Management in the Mono Basin Project (GIRE-Mono II) on Friday, October 10, 2025.

Valued at 143.39 million CFA francs, the two-year project will run from April 2025 to March 2027 and is expected to benefit about 50,000 residents in the Yoto I, II and III communes.

This phase aims to strengthen local water governance, build climate resilience, and promote sustainable agriculture. It follows an earlier phase, carried out from 2019 to 2022, which focused on building water infrastructure and creating community-based management structures.

Under GIRE-Mono II, planned activities include reforesting seven hectares of riverbanks, creating school gardens, building eco-friendly toilets, and forming a local water management committee.

Yoto Prefect Lieutenant Colonel Djossou Agossa praised Togo’s decentralization reforms, while local mayors reaffirmed their commitment to contribute 10 million CFA francs each to the project’s funding.

The initiative is supported by France’s Seine-Normandie Water Agency (AESN), Delabie, SIEP-Picardie, SIEP Secteur Régie, and Rouen Métropole, and is being implemented by NGOs PADIE and Experts-Solidaires in partnership with local authorities.

Launched in 2022, the broader GIRE-Mono program aims to improve water management and climate resilience in border regions and will continue through 2027.

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A new market opened on October 11, 2025, in Bengola, in the Cinkassé 1 commune, northern Togo. The five-hectare facility was built under the Social Cohesion Project (COSO), with support from the Local Authorities Support Fund (FACT) and USAID, as part of efforts to spur economic activity and strengthen community ties.

The Bengola market, which will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays, includes five covered stalls, a butcher shop, a borewell, sanitation facilities, and sheltered trading areas. Situated near the point where Togo, Ghana and Burkina Faso meet, the market is expected to become a hub for regional trade and integration.

Cinkassé Prefect Colonel Yanani Tiekabe and Mayor Nagnango Koundjo welcomed the project, saying it supports the local economy while promoting peace and social cohesion.

The COSO project is a regional initiative aimed at strengthening economic and climate resilience among border communities in Gulf of Guinea countries, including Togo. Funded by the World Bank and implemented by the National Agency for Grassroots Development Support (ANADEB), it operates in 40 border districts, mainly in the Savanes region, with additional programs in Kara and Centrale.

Launched on June 17, 2022, COSO is scheduled to run until 2027. It was initially funded with 33 billion CFA francs, later increased by nearly 14 billion CFA francs, including a $23 million allocation dedicated to supporting local communities and refugees.

Togo is celebrating the fifth edition of the Togo Artisan Days, JAT, from October 15 to October 24, 2025, under the theme: "Le numérique au service de la promotion de l’artisanat : enjeux et défis (The Digital Age Serving the Promotion of Craftsmanship: Issues and Challenges)"

The event, held under the Ministry of Trade, Craftsmanship, and Local Consumption, is part of the "Consume Local" month initiative. Its primary goal is to enhance the visibility of Togolese artisans and their expertise.

"This theme calls on us, the artisans, to adapt to the changes of the modern world," said Mouhamed ISSA, President of the Union of Regional Chambers of Trades of Togo, at the official opening of the event.

This year’s JAT specifically highlights the sector's digital transformation, which has already begun with the digitization of registrations and examinations for the Certificate of Apprenticeship Completion. Authorities are now promoting the use of digital tools for marketing, training, and networking among artisans.

The event includes workshops, regional mini-fairs, and community actions designed to bring local products closer to consumers and stimulate domestic demand.

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