Togo First
20th Lomé International Fair to Host China as Guest of Honor
Togo will host the 20th Lomé International Fair from Nov. 28 to Dec. 14, 2025. The event, which attracts businesses and investors from across the region and beyond, will highlight cooperation between Togo and China, with China named the guest country of honor.
A delegation of Chinese companies is expected to showcase China’s industrial and technological strengths during a special China National Day on Nov. 29. The program will feature exhibitions, cultural events, and business meetings aimed at strengthening trade ties between the two countries.
The 2025 edition is especially significant as it marks the 40th anniversary of the Fair’s organizer, the Center for Exhibitions and Fairs of Togo (CETEF). More than 1,300 exhibitors and around 700,000 visitors are expected at the 90,000-square-meter venue.
New features this year include a reorganization of the pavilions, digitalized services, and upgraded visitor facilities. Training sessions are also being held for exhibitors to improve booth presentation and marketing skills.
Togolese music icon King Mensah has been chosen as the face of this year’s event.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo Establishes Inspectorate to Enforce Environmental Standards
Togo has taken another step to modernize its environmental policy with the establishment of the General Inspectorate for the Environment, Forest Resources, and the Coastline. The decree, signed on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, by Environment Minister Dodzi Kokoroko, places the new body under his direct supervision.
The Inspectorate will be responsible for overseeing, evaluating, and monitoring the compliance of economic and social activities with existing environmental standards. Its mandate covers the sustainable management of forests, protection of the coastline, and preservation of natural resources.
The new agency is tasked with strengthening national resilience to climate threats and ensuring rigorous monitoring of environmental policies. It will also oversee the implementation of Togo’s international commitments and coordinate the country’s participation in global climate conferences.
This will involve issuing periodic climate monitoring and alert reports to guide public policy and national planning.
The reform is part of a broader effort in Togo that recently included the creation of a National Climate Watch Cell and the launch of a project to update forestry data. These initiatives aim to provide the country with an integrated environmental governance framework that balances economic development, the green transition, and transparency in the management of natural resources.
Togo Returns to Regional Bond Market Seeking 25 Billion CFA Francs
Togo is making a return to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) public securities market after nearly three months, seeking to raise 25 billion CFA francs. The operation will take place on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025, via a simultaneous issuance of fungible Treasury Bills (BAT) and Treasury Bonds (OAT).
According to Togo First, the Togolese Public Treasury plans to raise 8 billion CFA francs by issuing 364-day Treasury Bills at a nominal value of 1 million CFA francs, offered at multiple rates. The remaining 17 billion CFA francs will be raised through three-year and five-year Treasury Bonds with a nominal value of 10,000 CFA francs, offering interest rates of 6.25% and 6.50% respectively.
The proceeds will help finance the 2025 national budget, totaling 2,397 billion CFA francs.
Year to date, Togo has raised 264.5 billion CFA francs on the regional market, reaching about 79% of its annual target of 332 billion CFA francs. For the final quarter of 2025, the country plans to raise an additional 100 billion CFA francs.
Esaïe Edoh
Spiro, Formerly M-Auto Raises Record $100M for Expansion
Spiro, the two-wheel electric mobility company formerly known as M-Auto, which has operated in Togo since 2022, has closed a record funding round of $100 million (approximately 56.5 billion CFA francs). This is the largest fundraising round ever recorded in the African e-mobility sector.
The investment, led by the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the impact investing subsidiary of Afreximbank, aims to strengthen Spiro's market position. The capital will be used to expand the company's activities, notably through an enlarged network of battery-swap stations.
Established in 2022, Spiro currently operates more than 60,000 electric motorbikes and 1,200 battery-swap stations across six African countries: Togo, Benin, Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda.
The raise comes at a time when “Africa is at an inflection point in personal mobility.”
According to Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro, “Riders are rapidly shifting from internal combustion motorcycles to Spiro’s more affordable and accessible battery-swapping ecosystem and motorcycles.”
Spiro plans to accelerate the installation of new battery-swap stations in its key markets, including Togo. The company also intends to support the creation of skilled jobs related to the production, maintenance, and management of African-made electric vehicles.
Furthermore, with the new resources, Spiro projects deploying over 100,000 vehicles by the end of 2025 while developing clean, decentralized energy infrastructure across the continent.
In Togo, Spiro aligns with the national energy transition and sustainable mobility policy, which is supported by tax incentives written into the 2024 finance law, particularly the exemption on the importation of electric batteries.
R.E.D.
West African Countries Discuss Maritime Border Delimitation in Lomé
A regional workshop on maritime border delimitation and the joint management of marine spaces in West Africa began in Lomé on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025. Organized by the Togolese High Council for the Sea, in partnership with German Cooperation (GIZ) and the African Union's Border Programme (AUBP), the meeting brings together experts and representatives from the region’s coastal nations.
The goal is to establish a platform for sharing experiences on the challenges of maritime border delimitation and the sustainable management of shared marine areas. Participants aim to contribute to a comprehensive guide on maritime border delimitation and ocean governance. This document, currently under preparation, is intended to transform these sensitive zones from potential sources of tension into areas of cooperation, integration, and shared development.
Over four days, discussions will focus on the legal framework applicable to marine spaces, border delimitation procedures, and related technical aspects.
Stanislas Baba, Minister-Counsellor to the President’s Council for Maritime Affairs, described the initiative as addressing a continental urgency. "Africa has 39 coastal countries, but very few have delimited their maritime spaces. If we are not careful, the seas risk becoming major sources of conflict," he warned. Baba stressed the necessity to "talk, negotiate, and cooperate to avoid tensions."
Esaïe Edoh
Togo Trains 400 Hairdressers to Support Mental Health Awareness
- The Bluemind Foundation trained 400 hairdressers in Lomé to act as community mental health ambassadors.
- The initiative aims to reach one million Togolese women by the end of 2026, with expansion planned in Kara, Centrale, and Savanes regions.
- Togo faces a critical shortage of psychiatrists — only seven for eight million people — highlighting the need for community-based support models.
In Togo, 400 hairdressers have completed training as community mental health ambassadors under the Heal by Hair program, an initiative launched by the Bluemind Foundation. The four-day training, held in partnership with the University of Lomé, concluded on October 22 and focused on equipping women in the hairdressing sector to detect, support, and guide clients experiencing psychological distress.
The sessions covered early identification of mental health issues, empathetic communication, and crisis management techniques. Participants are now expected to serve as local advocates capable of connecting women to professional care.
Marie-Alix de Putter, founder of the Bluemind Foundation, said: “Each trained salon becomes a haven of dignity and support. Our hairdressers are now essential community relays to promote mental health and break the stigma surrounding these disorders.”
The initiative transforms beauty salons — traditionally safe and social spaces for women — into informal hubs for emotional support and awareness.
Launched in Lomé in 2022, Heal by Hair has already supported more than 100,000 women across Togo, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. The foundation plans to expand the program to the Kara region in July 2026, with a goal of reaching one million Togolese women by the end of that year, including 230,000 direct beneficiaries in Kara, Centrale, and Savanes.
The project comes amid alarming mental health statistics. According to data from the Bluemind Foundation, about 10% of Africa’s population suffers from mental health disorders. In Togo, only seven psychiatrists serve eight million people, and less than 20% of Africans have access to adequate care due to financial constraints.
By using hair salons as community contact points, the foundation aims to overcome these structural barriers and extend mental health support to women who would otherwise remain outside the formal healthcare system.
Togo’s Maritime Region launches hospital development plan
Togo’s Maritime Region is developing a hospital development plan as part of the country’s ongoing health system reform. On October 21–22, 2025, the Youth and Women’s Center in Tsévié hosted the launch workshop for the Hospital Establishment Project (PEH).
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Health with support from the Global Fund, seeks to provide each health facility with a strategic tool to enhance governance, quality of care, and hospital performance.
At the opening session, regional governor Taïrou Bagbiègue emphasized that the PEH will serve as a genuine hospital development plan tailored to local needs. “The hospital of tomorrow must be patient-centered and modern,” he said, stressing the importance of strategic planning for the 2026–2030 period.
Dr. Koffi Agbétiafa, regional director of health for the Maritime Region, explained that the initiative aligns with the government’s 2025 Roadmap, which aims to promote equitable and sustainable access to healthcare.
The project will strengthen hospital and peripheral care unit (USP2) management capacities and align practices with national hospital governance standards. Similar workshops will be held in all regions to ensure harmonized hospital planning across the country.
While the Maritime Region launched its PEH on October 21, 2025, the exercise had already been completed in the Grand Lomé Autonomous District in August.
Togo Sets Up Climate Watch Unit to Strengthen Resilience and Policy Coordination
Togo's Ministry of Environment, Forest Resources, Coastal Protection, and Climate Change has announced the creation of a National Climate Watch Unit. The initiative, led by the new minister, Dodzi Kokoroko, aims to strengthen national resilience and improve decision-making on climate issues.
The unit will monitor, analyze, and share information on climate phenomena and their impacts. It will also oversee the implementation of the Climate Convention and coordinate Togo’s participation in international climate forums.
The new entity will collect and analyze meteorological, climatic, and environmental data from technical agencies and partners. The data will help the country anticipate environmental events, shape policies for sustainable resource management, prevent disasters, and promote balanced land use.
By building national expertise on Togo’s climate, the unit is expected to strengthen the country’s credibility with technical and financial partners and improve access to international climate finance. The new unit complements ongoing government efforts such as the national reforestation program, which aims to plant one billion trees by 2030.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo to Launch Pilot Battery Energy Storage Program, Backed by AFD and GEAPP
Togo is set to pilot a green energy storage program after the French Development Agency and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) signed an agreement for 112 million CFA francs ($200,000) to finance feasibility studies. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington.
The project, which targets an initial capacity of 55 megawatts (MW), is part of the country's "Mission 300" National Energy Pact. The pact aims for universal electricity access by 2030, as Togo currently struggles to provide power to about 40% of its population. The country's target is to raise the share of renewable energy to 63% of its installed capacity by 2030, up from roughly 26% now.
Battery energy storage (BESS) will help stabilize the national grid and offset the intermittency of solar power, which is often supplemented by thermal sources or regional imports in the evenings. The project also includes developing a national roadmap for the progressive deployment of the technology, with an estimated capacity goal of 156 megawatt-hours (MWh) by 2030.
Rémy Rioux, CEO of the AFD Group, said the project "brings tangible benefits to the people: reliable electricity, energy security and new economic opportunities."
GEAPP CEO Woochong Um hailed the initiative as an example of Togo's leadership in Africa's energy transition, combining innovation with sustainable social impact. "Togo’s ambitious energy commitments will deliver clean power, clean air, jobs and opportunities for millions," Um said. "This is what true leadership looks like: setting bold national goals and practical pathways to reach them."
Togo is one of 17 African nations that adopted a "National Energy Pact" on Sept. 24, 2025, in New York, as part of the World Bank and African Development Bank-backed Mission 300 initiative. The wider goal is to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Lomé Port Climbs Lloyd’s List 2025, Solidifying Regional Lead
The Autonomous Port of Lomé (PAL) has solidified its standing among global port platforms, moving up one spot to rank 92nd in the 2025 classification by Lloyd’s List, the world reference for maritime transport.
With traffic of 2.06 million TEUs in 2024, an 8% increase from 1.9 million TEUs the previous year, Lomé remains the only port in sub-Saharan Africa to feature in the global Top 100. It ranks as the fifth-busiest port on the African continent, trailing only Tanger Med, Port Said, Durban, and Damietta.
Lloyd’s List analysts attributed the advance primarily to the growth of transshipment, a segment Lomé has successfully developed through strategic partnerships and efficient port logistics. The Lomé deepsea port benefits from a draft that allows it to accommodate the largest vessels operating on the continent, thereby enhancing its competitiveness against rivals such as Durban and Abidjan.
This progress comes amid a global environment marked by an 8.1% rebound in container traffic and the reorganization of international supply chains.
Separately, the Port of Lomé recently completed dredging work on its terminal for 7.5 million euros. The channel depth has been increased to 18.6 meters, enabling it to receive a greater number of mega-ships (those with a capacity ranging from 19,000 to 24,000 TEUs).
Further investments are expected from Lomé Container Terminal (LCT), one of the port's two operators, which has announced a 120 million euro investment program through 2027. This plan includes reinforcing quays, installing new cranes, and expanding the terminal's annual capacity to 2.5 million TEUs.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi