Lomé is hosting the 2nd National Congress of the Togolese Cardiology Society (SOCART) on June 12 and 13, 2025. Nearly 150 experts are attending the event to tackle two deadly conditions: hypertension and venous thromboembolic disease.

These diseases rank among the deadliest in Togo. The congress aims to sharpen doctors’ skills and update treatment methods.

The event will feature roundtables, hands-on sessions, and pharmaceutical symposiums. Experts will focus on ways to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

Key topics will include emergency ECG interpretation, defibrillator use, and the latest European guidelines on hypertension. The congress will spotlight vulnerable groups like pregnant women, seniors, HIV patients, and those with kidney problems.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

Togo now issues digital passes for foreign-registered vehicles. The Togolese 

Revenue Office (OTR) launched an online platform on June 11, 2025, to handle these requests remotely.

The Directorate of Intelligence and Fraud Control drives this project. It falls under the country’s tax administration push to digitize services. The goal is to simplify border procedures and speed up vehicle tracking across neighboring countries.

“The electronic pass meets real needs: it lets users submit requests online, ensures traceability, and speeds up processing,” declared Lieutenant-Colonel Donko Bileyô, Director of Intelligence and Fraud Control at the OTR.

Foreign users can access the platform at www.otr.tg. The tool enables them to complete their paperwork online before reaching border posts.

Transport and trade professionals from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—members of the Sahel States Alliance—welcome the reform, as Lomé’s port is their main sea gateway.

Commenting on the new system, Zakari Hamani, president of the Group of Importers, Drivers, and Vehicle Buyers from Sahelian countries, said: “This new system is very welcome. The OTR has always listened to us, and this progress confirms Lomé as the port of the Sahel.”

The OTR clarified that the digital pass only applies to foreign-registered vehicles. It lasts 30 days and can be renewed twice, for a maximum of 90 days.

This article was initially published in French by Esaie Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo and three other West African countries could gain stronger irrigation support under the new phase of the Projet d'Appui Régional à l'Initiative pour l'Irrigation au Sahel (PARIIS). Officials announced this on June 10, 2025, at a two-day sub-regional meeting in Lomé.

The meeting gathered current beneficiary countries to review six years of PARIIS-SIIP implementation, which ends on June 30. It also allowed exchanges with other member states of the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS), including Benin, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, and Equatorial Guinea.

PARIIS-SIIP operates in six Sahelian countries—Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal—with funding of $170 million (about CFA97 billion) from the International Development Association (IDA). The project has built a foundation for sustainable irrigated agriculture, addressing various water management methods.

CILSS deemed the results conclusive. The project reached 185,867 direct beneficiaries, 35% of whom are women. It developed or rehabilitated 19,411 hectares, documented 15 irrigation solutions, and trained 73,600 people on irrigation.

“These results pave the way for the second phase of the project, now integrated into the ‘Development, Resilience and Water Valorization in West Africa (DREVE)’ program,” said Frédéric Dabiré, PARIIS regional coordinator. Hubert Ndjafa, representing CILSS’s Executive Secretary, praised the achievements, highlighting “renewed knowledge that will continue to improve agricultural practices.”

Togo is among the countries invited to join the new DREVE phase. “Discussions are underway with the Togolese authorities and financial partners,” Dabiré said.

The program’s rollout in Togo should align with the government’s food security goals amid climate change challenges. With much of its population relying on agriculture, Togo views irrigation as a key tool to boost crop yields.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

West African nations started a six-day workshop on June 9, 2025, in Lomé,  to evaluate and harmonize the Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) curricula across the region. The West African Health Organization (WAHO) organized the session, which gathers health ministry officials, medical professors, and ECOWAS experts.

The workshop reviews training content at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. It aims to finalize a unified curriculum that guarantees skills transferable throughout West Africa.

After nearly 20 years of FETP implementation, disparities in course content, skill levels, and qualification recognition still exist. These gaps limit health workers’ mobility and weaken the region’s ability to respond to epidemics effectively.

Deans of medical schools from ECOWAS countries say standardized training will enhance epidemic response and boost professional recognition for field epidemiologists.

Melchior Athanase Joël, WAHO’s Director General, said, “These professionals must work directly with communities. They need to identify, report, and coordinate responses even before official declarations.”

Field epidemiology investigates sudden health problems. It involves outbreak investigations, data collection, and risk analysis during unexpected public health events.

Togo will join the world at the Belgrade 2027 International Expo, set for May 15 to August 15, 2027, in Serbia.

Alexandre de Souza, Togo’s General Commissioner, is in Belgrade this week. He sits at the table with over 120 foreign delegations for the first major planning meeting.

The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) leads this gathering. Organizers want to determine logistics and technical details for an event that will foster sports, culture, and innovation. The theme is: “Let’s Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All.”

Togo sees Expo Belgrade 2027 as a chance to grab the spotlight. The West African country will showcase its unique heritage, from Evala wrestling to local rhythms. Togo also wants to highlight its progress in sustainable development, social peace, and national unity.

Organizers expect more than 4 million visitors. Togo’s artists, creators, and entrepreneurs will seize the moment to promote their work. The Expo gives Togo a stage to boost its economic profile and flex its soft power in a competitive world1.

Pascal Agboyibor, a Franco-Togolese business lawyer, plays a central role in ongoing negotiations between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the United States over strategic minerals. The presidential decree issued on May 12, 2025, officially appointed him to the strategic coordination unit that steers this mining partnership.

The 22-member unit oversees bilateral talks and ensures the smooth execution of the agreement. The deal aims to provide the U.S. with secure access to critical DRC resources—cobalt, lithium, and coltan—while boosting American diplomatic support amid ongoing tensions in eastern Congo.

Agboyibor is the only lawyer on the unit’s leadership team, alongside top Congolese officials like Anthony Nkinzo Kamole, presidential chief of staff; Foreign Minister Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner; Mines Minister Kizito Pakabomba; and the chairmen of Gécamines and Arecoms boards.

Togolese Expertise Gains Recognition in Business Law

Pascal Agboyibor founded the international law firm Asafo & Co. He is well known in Africa for his expertise in mining law, structured finance, and infrastructure projects. Governments and public institutions regularly call on him for high-stakes strategic cases in Africa and beyond.

His firm has operated in the DRC for years, advising the government during the renegotiation of the Gécamines partnership with Chinese giant CMOC over the Tenke Fungurume mine. This complex deal resulted in an $800 million settlement favoring the Congolese state.

In 2024, Africa Business+ named him the most influential lawyer in Francophone Africa for the fourth time. The magazine praised his work on sensitive cases involving state interests. “He acts as a strategic advisor to the Congolese government, especially against international operators,” it said.

Togo’s Role in a Geopolitical Chess Game

Under Anthony Nkinzo Kamole’s coordination, the strategic unit manages technical work, aligns positions among Congolese institutions, and monitors compliance with the pending U.S. agreement.

Pascal Agboyibor’s appointment carries added weight because he is the son of Yawovi Agboyibo, former Togolese Prime Minister and historic opposition figure. 

Meanwhile, Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé actively mediates between the DRC and Rwanda. For weeks, Gnassingbé has played a central role in talks aimed at easing tensions between the two countries.

This delicate, behind-the-scenes mediation reshapes regional influence. In this geopolitical climate, having a Togolese lawyer involved in such a strategic mineral deal—covering cobalt, lithium, and coltan—boosts Togo’s image as both a facilitator and a power player.

Sources close to the matter say the Kinshasa-Washington agreement could be signed by the end of June 2025.

This article was initially published in French by Fiacre E. Kakpo

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum

Togo confirmed eight Mpox cases in Lomé, the capital, as of May 25, 2025, according to official data.

The authorities consider the alert moderate but serious. Subsequently, they launched an intensified action plan focused on epidemic surveillance, community mobilization, and targeted case management.

Virologist Anoumou Yaotsè Dagnra is leading the response, coordinating efforts between health centers, laboratories, and community networks. “The key is vigilance,” he said.

Mpox, formerly monkeypox, is a zoonotic virus related to smallpox. It spreads mainly through close contact and easily infects immunocompromised people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) currently avoids mass vaccination. Instead, it emphasizes individual responsibility, recommending strict hygiene, isolating cases, and quickly alerting competent authorities. This low-key preventive strategy could make all the difference in today’s context.

In the pipeline for about a decade, Togo's Nayega manganese mine is poised to begin production by next month. Keras Resources, the project's technical partner, confirmed the news on June 6th.

The mine, located in the Savanes region, is expected to initially produce 4,000 tonnes of manganese per month, with plans to increase to 8,000 tonnes in the medium term. The Togolese State, through the Société Togolaise de Manganèse (STM), is now the sole owner and aims to capitalize on the growing demand for this critical mineral in the battery and electric vehicle markets.

Under a 2023 agreement, Keras Resources will receive advisory fees of 1.5% of the gross revenue generated by the mine for three years. The firm will also receive 6.0% of the gross revenue for brokerage services until either 3.5 years have passed or 900,000 tonnes of enriched manganese ore have been produced and sold.

This development occurs amid increasing global demand for transition metals. Togo, historically focused on phosphate exports, seeks to diversify its mining portfolio and strengthen its control over its natural resources. The government's strategy includes local value addition, skills development, and moving up the value chain.

With estimated reserves of 8.5 million tonnes, the Nayega mine is projected to operate for 11 years. This new mining operation could significantly impact Togo's national budget, where mining contributions already exceed 40%.