On August 16, the Togolese government launched the 2025 edition of the “Active Holidays in Companies” project in Lomé and several regional towns. The Ministry of Public Service Reform, Labour and Social Dialogue spearheads the initiative, with support from the National Employment Agency (ANPE) and the private sector.

The project gives Togolese students their first professional experience through holiday work placements. It seeks to keep young people engaged during the break while strengthening their practical and interpersonal skills.

From August 18, more than 1,200 youth, selected through a competitive process, will start placements in both parastatal bodies and private companies nationwide.

The new project adds to existing initiatives like the AIDE program and the national volunteering scheme. It aligns closely with President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé’s goal to boost youth employability and professional integration. Employment Minister Gilbert Bawara said, “We are focused on meeting our young people’s needs and giving them a chance to learn the demands of the working world during their training. The world of work is tough, so we must equip our youth to be ready and operational once their studies finish.”

Thierry Awesso, vice-president of the Conseil national du patronat (CNP), praised the initiative, saying, “While these young people come to learn, they will also bring fresh ideas and energy that can improve businesses. This project showcases strong cooperation between public and private sectors and gives our youth a valuable chance to prepare for their careers.”

Before starting, participants received training on soft skills, citizenship, and civic responsibility. They will also receive a lump-sum allowance and registration with the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) for professional risk coverage.

Esaie Edoh

The Kara Regional Council in Togo approved a priority action plan estimated at CFA1.9 billion on August 16, 2025, during its third ordinary session in Kara.

Council members outlined nine key projects targeting local development in three areas: environment, education, and water and sanitation. The plan budgets CFA797 million for 2025 and 1.116 billion for 2026.

The State will finance the projects via the Fund to support local authorities (FACT). In the environmental sector, the Council allocated CFA106.7 million for reforestation and establishing new forests across the region’s seven prefectures.

For water and sanitation, the plan commits CFA118.1 million to rehabilitate boreholes and independent water points in 17 localities. In education, CFA118.7 million will support renovating school buildings and equipping lower and upper secondary schools.

These projects mark the start of the Council’s efforts since its installation in January 2025. Its mission aims to drive balanced regional development under a framework of strengthened local governance.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Alain Nkontchou's Bosquet Investments acquired 21.22% of Ecobank for $100 million from Nedbank.

• Ecobank raised $250 million in July via Tier 1 convertible bonds to boost its capital and support African expansion.

• Nedbank sells Ecobank shares to refocus on Southern and East Africa, while Ecobank sells its Mozambican subsidiary to FDH Bank.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), the pan-African bank headquartered in Lomé, welcomed a new major shareholder. Bosquet Investments Ltd., owned by Alain Nkontchou, bought 21.22% of Ecobank’s capital for $100 million from Nedbank, Ecobank’s main shareholder for 17 years. The deal, announced through an agreement, should close by the end of 2025 after regulatory clearance.

This purchase marks a comeback for Nkontchou, who served on Ecobank’s Board for about a decade before stepping down last year. The former chairman now plans to back the bank’s "Growth, Transformation and Returns" strategy aimed at sustainable growth.

The timing of the investment aligns with a busy period for Ecobank. In July, the bank completed a $250 million private offering of Tier 1 convertible bonds (AT1). The bonds sold quickly and will strengthen Ecobank’s capital base and support its expansion across Africa.

For Nedbank, the sale fits its strategic shift to contain risks in Central and West Africa. The South African group now focuses on its stronger markets in Southern and East Africa.

Meanwhile, Ecobank continues streamlining its regional operations. On August 6, the group confirmed the sale of its Mozambican unit, Ecobank Mozambique, to Malawi’s FDH Bank.

Ecobank operates from Lomé across 35 African countries. The group serves over 32 million customers and manages assets worth several billion dollars.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

The Terreau Fertile Association will offer free medical care to about 1,000 people in Togo. The initiative targets patients with various diseases, mainly eye and dental problems. Terreau Fertile launched its 5th "Solidarité Fertile" campaign on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, in Lomé.

The association will deliver these free services to vulnerable groups across five regions: Tandjouaré (Savanes), Kabou and Kouméa (Kara), Mo and Tchamba (Centrale), Tohoun (Plateaux), and Tabligbo (Maritime). To fund the campaign, Terreau Fertile plans to raise 46 million CFA francs.

The program includes consultations, screenings, and operations for cataracts, dental care, and extractions. It also promotes preventive oral health. Additionally, 50 children will receive pediatric surgery through the campaign.

Biléyo Donko, the association’s president, said the campaign will run from August to September 2025. He added that the initiative supports the national health policy, which aims to guarantee access to quality healthcare for all citizens.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo will receive €22.5 million (about CFA14.7 billion) from Luxembourg, supported by the European Union, to strengthen its environmental policies. The new funding supports the ongoing fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity through the Support Programme for the Fight against Climate Change and the Protection of Biodiversity, known as PALCC+.

Minister of the Environment Katari Foli-Bazi signed the agreement in Lomé during a visit by a Luxembourg delegation. The funds will target urban waste management improvements across six major cities and enhance the conservation of priority protected areas, including Fazao-Malfakassa National Park.

The project focuses on building modern waste sorting and recycling facilities. It will also intensify efforts to combat poaching and deforestation, key threats to Togo’s natural heritage.

PALCC+ builds on the original PALCC program launched in 2017, which received €10.6 million from the EU. The initial program aimed at preserving natural resources and agro-ecology in strategic protected areas across the country.

The expanded PALCC+ program adds new components. It will structure value chains around non-timber forest products and agricultural goods. It will also develop hydro-agricultural schemes and restore degraded peripheral zones, especially along the Mono River.

Early estimates from PALCC show that nearly 17,000 households will directly benefit from the program. Altogether, about 1.15 million people across Togo could see direct or indirect improvements from these efforts.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Niger is expanding its Salkadamna coal project to include Togo, after securing partnerships with Burkina Faso and Mali. On August 13, 2025, Niger’s Energy Minister Amadou Haoua presented the project to Togo’s authorities, including President of the Council Faure Gnassingbé in Lomé.

Haoua said the goal is to make Salkadamna a strategic pillar for energy sovereignty across West Africa. “We are on a sub-regional tour to invite friendly and brotherly countries to join us in a new dynamic involving a 5,200 MW modular electricity capacity project,” he said. This partnership aims to accelerate progress toward energy independence in the sub-region.

Togo welcomed the project as it pushes to achieve universal electricity access by 2030. Minister of Mines and Energy Resources Robert Eklo described Salkadamna as “both an integrated and integrating project.” He explained it combines coal mining, power generation, and energy export networks involving the Alliance of Sahel States, Togo, and Chad. Eklo also called the project “inclusive,” uniting multiple countries with everything essential included in one plan.

Launched originally in the 1980s and revived in 2014, the Salkadamna coal complex targets the exploitation of approximately 69 million tonnes of regional coal reserves. It will build a thermal power plant with a capacity exceeding 5,200 MW, an open-pit mine, high-voltage transmission lines, and a coal briquette factory producing 100,000 tonnes annually.

Niger plans to generate massive electricity from locally mined coal, supplying domestic demand and exporting surplus power to neighbors. By joining the initiative, Togo could significantly reduce its dependence on imported oil, which currently powers much of its thermal electricity generation.

At present, Togo relies heavily on diesel and imported fuel oil for electricity. Integrating coal power from the region offers a chance to diversify the energy mix and shield the country from volatile international fuel prices.

The project also promises to bolster Togo’s energy security amid geopolitical tensions and global energy market fluctuations. Salkadamna could stabilize electricity supplies for the entire region.

Minister Haoua said the project is well advanced in Niger, with a 600 MW pilot phase underway. However, it requires participation from other countries to scale up. The initiative involves Niger’s WANDA GROUP, alongside Chinese firm HEC and Indian company Kalpa-Taru, structured as a public-private partnership.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo ranks as Africa’s second-leading exporter of organic products to the European Union, trailing only Egypt, according to 2020 European Commission data. The country aims to keep this momentum going by urging stakeholders—especially those working with soya, pineapple, and other key crops—to enhance their practices and meet the new certification standards set by the EU and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The National Association of Soybean Exporters (ANCES-Togo) issued a call on August 11, 2025, in Lomé at a gathering of producers, processors, and exporters. The group must now follow newly introduced European and U.S. NOP standards that increase compliance demands, enforce strict traceability, and raise quality benchmarks. These regulations intend to preserve sustainable access to international markets, particularly Europe’s, within a more competitive global environment.

ANCES-Togo Vice-President Kokou Tewou describes the updated rules as both a challenge and an opportunity, requiring enhanced control mechanisms, exacting technical standards, and improved traceability systems while facilitating entry into higher-value markets. Notably, Badr El Fartass, head of Morocco’s CCPB, points out new limits such as a 2,000-member cap on producer groups and a 5-hectare cultivated plot ceiling for small producers—restrictions that did not exist before.

Togo ranks as the foremost organic produce exporter in West Africa and the continent’s second largest to the EU, but this standing could slip unless producers adapt rapidly. “Operators who want to keep their edge must immediately follow these standards,” Mr. Tewou insisted, highlighting that the matter goes beyond regulations and concerns the long-term viability of Togolese exports.

Esaïe Edoh

With the new school year only weeks away, the Togolese government reports a reassuring outlook for school supplies. On August 12, Minister for Trade Rose Kayi Mivédor met with importers and confirmed that stocks of notebooks, geometry sets, pens, and other materials fully meet national demand.

Gagnon Kofi Diva, one of the importers attending the meeting, highlighted that prices remain stable compared to 2024. He added, “We are even considering lowering them to make them accessible to all.”

The government focuses on more than just availability. It seeks to protect purchasing power and ensure fair market competition throughout Togo—from the capital Lomé to the border town of Cinkassé.

Minister Mivédor reminded operators to closely monitor distribution prices and strictly follow the Ministry of Education’s guidelines.