Togo First
Togo: Non-Financial Services Grow 6.1% in September 2025
Togo’s non-financial services sector posted annual growth of 6.1% in September 2025, according to data published by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) in its November economic report.
This performance ranks Togo fifth among countries in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) for the sector.
Non-financial services cover market-based activities outside the financial sector, including trade, transport, hotels, telecommunications and business services. On a month-on-month basis, turnover in the sector rose by 7.5% in September, accelerating from a 3.4% increase in August.
This contrasted with the regional trend, where activity contracted by 0.6% over the same period.
Financial services also maintained positive momentum. Annual growth eased slightly to 14% in September from 14.3% in August. Month-on-month, however, the sector slipped by 0.5%, reversing a 4.9% increase recorded the previous month.
Activity in the construction and public works sector fell 7.1 points below its long-term average in September 2025. This placed Togo among the three WAEMU countries where construction activity weakened, alongside Mali and Niger.
At the regional level, the overall business climate index stood at 101.1 points, down 0.2 points from August, amid a broad-based slowdown in economic activity across the WAEMU area.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo Grants Opticians Three-Month Moratorium on Health Insurance Agreement
Opticians in Togo have been granted a three-month moratorium to implement clauses of a sector-wide agreement recently signed with the agencies managing Universal Health Insurance (AMU), according to a joint statement from the National Health Insurance Institute (INAM) and the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).
The grace period runs from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2026, and applies both to opticians already under contract who are required to renew their agreements and to those not yet contracted who plan to join the system by signing a formal agreement.
According to AMU administrators, the measure is intended to give eyewear professionals time to implement the new provisions of a partnership signed last November with the Association of Professionals and Practitioners of Optometry and Optics (APPOL).
The agreement between AMU management bodies and APPOL seeks to harmonize professional practices and improve the quality of optical services. It also allows insured individuals to access opticians’ services using their AMU cards.
Togo Expands Public Service Digitisation With Online Civil Registry Platform
The Togolese government has launched an online system allowing citizens to request copies of civil registry documents via the government’s Services Publics platform. The pilot phase covers five municipalities: Agoe-Nyive 1, Golfe 1, Ave 2, Zio 2 and Lacs 1.
The system enables users to request copies of birth, marriage and death certificates and to track the processing of their applications in real time. The platform includes a secure interface designed to protect the confidentiality of personal data.
The move is part of the government’s broader strategy to digitalize public services. The Ministry of Energy recently added 29 administrative procedures to the national portal, covering services provided by the CEET, AT2ER and ARSE. Other ministerial departments are expected to join the platform from January 2026.
Territorial Administration Minister Hodabalo Awate and Digital Transformation Minister Cina Lawson reaffirmed their commitment to gradually extend the service to all municipalities nationwide. The aim is to improve administrative efficiency while reducing costs for users.
R.E.D
Ouagadougou Partnership Holds Lomé Talks on Reproductive Health Funding
The nine member countries of the Ouagadougou Partnership are meeting in Lomé from Tuesday, Dec. 16, for three days of talks focused on domestic financing for sexual and reproductive health.
The meeting brings together governments, civil society organizations and community groups with a shared goal: increasing the number of people using family planning services.
The event aims to identify sustainable strategies by drawing on the experience of countries that have made significant progress in this area. Madagascar, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon are presenting financing models that have led to a substantial increase in resources allocated to the sector.
Marie Ba, director of the Ouagadougou Partnership Coordination Unit, stressed the importance of sharing experiences as a way to advance toward greater autonomy and health sovereignty. Togolese Health Minister Jean-Marie Tessi urged governments and the private sector to step up investment in health programs.
“Accelerating domestic financing is a way of affirming that sexual and reproductive health is a national and regional priority,” the minister said. He also drew a direct connection between such investments and gains in economic productivity.
The Ouagadougou Partnership includes Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal. Its objectives include reducing social inequalities and strengthening health systems across the region.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo Plans Cash Transfer Program for 700,000+ Vulnerable People
Togo’s government will launch a national social protection programme on Thursday, targeting more than 700,000 vulnerable people nationwide, authorities said.
The initiative, part of the government’s social policy, is intended to address ongoing economic and social pressures, including rising living costs and growing economic vulnerability.
The programme builds on earlier schemes that disbursed more than 1.1 billion CFA francs to 142,722 beneficiaries between August 2024 and August 2025.
It is supported by development partners, including the World Bank, which, through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), is backing the expansion of cash transfers to extremely poor households.
The strategy relies on national social registries and digital payment platforms to improve targeting and delivery.
The programme has three aims: to strengthen household resilience to economic shocks, reduce extreme poverty, and promote social inclusion.
The official launch will take place at the Kotokoli-Zongo Sports Complex, in the Agoè-Nyivé 4 municipality.
R.E.D
ECOWAS Plans 1,000-Strong Standby Force by 2026 to Counter Instability
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday approved measures to strengthen its regional security framework at its 68th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government in Abuja.
The leaders, including Faure Gnassingbé, president of the council of Ministers of Togo, announced plans to create a regional standby force expected to be operational by 2026. The force is projected to include more than 1,000 troops.
The brigade would be deployed to address multiple threats destabilizing the West African region, including violent extremism, unconstitutional changes of government and recurring political instability.
The decision comes amid persistent regional security challenges, notably terrorism and extremism, as well as the management of irregular migration. ECOWAS leaders cited recent attempts at political destabilization in the region, including an incident reported in Benin in recent days.
Beyond security, the summit also reviewed the bloc’s long-term outlook under ECOWAS Vision 2050.
Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to building a community based on shared prosperity, with a focus on advancing a single market, strengthening fiscal coordination and promoting macroeconomic stability.
R.E.D
Togo Bank Lending Rises 22% Y/Y Through September
Togolese banks extended 903 billion CFA francs in new credit by the end of September 2025, according to the National Credit Council, a 22% increase from the 740 billion CFA francs recorded over the same period a year earlier.
The council, chaired by Finance and Budget Minister Essowè Georges Barcola, said the rise in bank lending reflects an encouraging trend and signals continued confidence by financial institutions in the national economy, amid sustained growth despite a highly uncertain global environment.
Lending rates charged by Togolese banks remain relatively moderate. In September, they averaged around 7.5%, broadly in line with the regional average.
Despite these results, the council pointed to several major challenges still facing the banking sector, including the need to develop innovative financial products to mobilize diaspora savings and to increase financing for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, housing and agriculture. Other priorities include improving service quality and advancing digital transformation while ensuring information system security.
To that end, the council expects concrete proposals from the leadership of the Togo Professional Association of Banks and Financial Institutions and the Togo Professional Association of Decentralized Financial Systems, aimed at addressing these challenges and sustainably strengthening financing for the Togolese economy.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo Digitizes 29 Energy Services as Part of Public Sector Reform
Togo has digitized 29 administrative services in its energy and mining sector since launching the initiative in November, government officials said last week. The update was presented at a review meeting held after one month of implementation, attended by Minister for the Digital Economy and Digital Transformation Cina Lawson and Energy Minister Robert Eklo.
The digitized services cover agencies overseen by the energy ministry, including the Togo Electric Power Company (CEET), the Togo Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Agency (AT2ER), and the Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARSE).
The government said the reform is intended to improve administrative efficiency while enabling users to save time and reduce costs linked to in-person procedures.
Of the 31 administrative procedures initially identified, 29 have now been integrated into the national public services digital portal. Authorities aim to make all services fully accessible online by January 2026, while providing additional support to users with limited access to digital tools or skills.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader strategy to gradually digitize public services. Other ministries are expected to roll out similar reforms from January 2026.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo Advances Creation Of National Land Agency
Togo is moving to establish a National Land Agency (ANDF), a reform under the Land and Domain Code adopted in 2018 but yet to be implemented.
The project has been relaunched with $150 million in financing from the World Bank. The funding will support a broader structural reform program aimed at boosting private investment and job creation.
According to Togolese authorities and the World Bank, the future agency will be responsible for coordinating land policy and speeding up the issuance of land documents. The reform is intended to strengthen land tenure security, reduce disputes, and improve access to productive land, particularly for farmers and investors.
Under the Land and Domain Code, the ANDF is expected to play a central role in implementing national land policy. The agency would operate as a public institution with financial autonomy, overseeing the regulation, coordination, and modernization of land management nationwide.
Its creation has been pending for more than five years, amid complex administrative procedures and the gradual rollout of digital land and cadastral systems in the country.
In preparation, Togo has launched several initiatives to modernize the cadastre in recent years. These include the creation of a single land service desk, a nationwide geo-referencing campaign for legacy land titles, and the introduction of a unique plot identification number.
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
Togo Nears Access To China’s Soybean Market
Togolese soybeans could soon gain access to the Chinese market. China’s ambassador to Togo, Wang Min, said earlier this month that the approval process was nearing completion, signaling that exports could begin once the final steps are cleared.
Soybeans already play a strategic role in Togo’s agricultural economy. The country is among the leading exporters of organic soybeans to the European Union, a position supported by better-organized value chains and the gradual tightening of quality standards across the sector.
Formal access to the Chinese market would open additional growth opportunities for the industry. By diversifying export destinations, it could encourage new investment, strengthen demand, and support the development of local processing capacity.
China’s interest in expanding its network of agricultural suppliers reflects its heavy dependence on imports. The country is the world’s largest soybean buyer, accounting for between 60% and 70% of globally traded volumes, according to estimates by S&P. Demand is driven by the rapid expansion of its agri-food industry and livestock sector.
The announcement follows a broader strengthening of ties between Beijing and Lomé. In 2024, the two countries upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing, where President Xi Jinping and Togolese Council President Faure Gnassingbé made the joint announcement.
That momentum translated into a sharp rise in trade in 2025. Between January and September, bilateral trade reached $4 billion, an increase of 56.4%. Togolese exports to China rose fivefold over the period, supported by Beijing’s zero-tariff policy on 100% of eligible African products.
No timetable has been announced for the completion of the soybean access protocol, but Chinese authorities say the final approval phase is underway.