Togo, Benin and Senegal have advanced regional digital integration by launching free roaming services on Friday, April 24, 2026, in Lomé.

The launch marks the implementation of two bilateral agreements — one between Togo and Senegal, the other between Senegal and Benin — signed on the sidelines of ARTAO’s 23rd annual general assembly.

Signed in December 2025 in Dakar, the agreements were outlined by Amah Vinyo Capo, director of markets and data-driven regulation at ARCEP Togo, during the ceremony. They represent a first for the region: two separate agreements aligned on identical terms, reflecting a gradual push toward harmonization within the Association of Telecommunications Regulators of West Africa (ARTAO).

“Today, we are taking a new step by removing another barrier to digital mobility and strengthening regional integration. In the digital age, electronic communications have become essential. They connect people and support economies, but one obstacle remained: the high cost of mobile roaming. That obstacle is now removed. Thanks to free roaming between Togo and Senegal and between Senegal and Benin, citizens traveling between these countries will be able to communicate as if they were in their home country,” said Michel Yaovi Galley, director general of ARCEP Togo.

The objective is to reduce roaming charges for consumers traveling across borders. The agreements regulate international and local call rates, as well as mobile data, with caps designed to prevent excessive charges.

Beyond pricing, the agreements are part of a broader effort to harmonize roaming policies across the region. With this deal now in effect with Senegal, Togo brings the number of countries with which it has free roaming partnerships to seven, six of which are already operational.

Expected impact on consumers

For consumer organizations, the agreements address long-standing difficulties faced by users when traveling across borders.

“Consumers expect the commitments made to be effectively enforced by operators,” said Emmanuel Sogadzi, president of the Ligue des Consommateurs du Togo (LCT).

Regulators also stressed the significance of the agreements. For Edouard Loko, executive secretary of Benin’s Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et de la Poste (ARCEP Bénin), the priority is to ensure cross-border access to communications and service continuity for mobile users.

Dahirou Thiam, director general of Senegal’s Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications et des Postes, echoed that view. Present at the launch ceremony in Lomé, he highlighted the expected benefits of free roaming, particularly the reduction in roaming costs.

The initiative reflects a broader push toward regional telecom market integration, through improved service continuity and lower costs for users.

S.A

Togo has launched a National Laboratory for Food Safety and Phytosanitary Control (LaNSA). President Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové inaugurated the facility on Thursday, April 23, 2026, as part of celebrations marking the country’s 66th independence anniversary.

The laboratory will test food products and products of plant and animal origin, and assess sanitary and phytosanitary risks.

According to its director, Komla Sanda, LaNSA is intended to serve as a reference institution to protect consumer health, ensure the phytosanitary quality of agricultural output, and boost the competitiveness of Togo’s agricultural and agri-food exports on regional and international markets.

As a public scientific and technological institution, the laboratory has a dual mandate: to support the implementation of national sanitary and phytosanitary policies, and to assist economic operators in agropoles, cooperatives and the agri-food industry in certifying their products for domestic and export markets.

To achieve these objectives, the laboratory “will rely on a strategy focused on performance, quality and international accreditation, as well as on partnerships and stronger communication to mobilize resources,” Sanda said.

At launch, LaNSA will assess the nutritional quality of food and animal feed, and detect hazardous contaminants such as heavy metals, including lead, and mycotoxins. From June 2026, it will expand its services to include pesticide residue analysis.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo’s local governments received a total of 13.5 billion CFA francs in 2025 through the Fonds d’appui aux collectivités territoriales (FACT). The funds were distributed among the country’s 117 municipalities and five regional councils, according to a report on reforms implemented in the second half of 2025 published by the Permanent Secretariat for Monitoring Reform Policies and Financial Programs.

Of the total, 9.5 billion CFA francs was allocated to municipalities and 4 billion CFA francs to regional councils. The transfers aim to strengthen the financial autonomy of local authorities and support local development projects.

The full breakdown of funding sources was not disclosed. The central government had, however, budgeted a 10 billion CFA francs contribution for 2025, to be supplemented by development partners, including the German Embassy and the European Union delegation.

Established in 2019, FACT is a financing mechanism designed to help local governments manage costs associated with the transfer of responsibilities from the central government. It is funded primarily through the national budget, with additional support from development partners.

For 2026, the government has earmarked 12 billion CFA francs for municipalities through the fund.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo's Lomé International Book Fair (FI2L) resumes this weekend at the Centre togolais des expositions et foires (CETEF). The event runs Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26, 2026, marking its comeback after several years of interruption.

Organized by the Association des écrivains du Togo (AET) and Club Le Littéraire, in partnership with CETEF, this sixth edition marks a long-awaited revival as Togo's book industry seeks to strengthen its structure.

Backed by the culture ministry, the event will welcome a delegation of Beninese authors. It aims to bring together authors, publishers, booksellers, institutions and readers, while raising the profile of Togolese literature and developing a still small local market.

“The fair will offer a platform bringing together all players in the book industry,” said Prof. Kouméalo Anaté, president of the AET.

Held under the theme “Writing the World Ahead,” the 2026 edition examines the role of literature in the face of social, technological and cultural change. The program includes conferences, panel discussions, writing workshops, literary talks, book signings and a day dedicated to schoolchildren.

Beyond the fair itself, FI2L aims to promote reading across the country. For the AET, it represents the culmination of a literary caravan organized since March, during which Togolese authors travelled across the country, visiting schools to encourage reading among students.

Organizers expect more than 1,000 visitors, with around 20 exhibitors already confirmed.

The revival of FI2L comes amid ongoing challenges in distributing local works, limited access to libraries, and broader efforts to build a sustainable book ecosystem in Togo.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo is hosting the first Inter-Regional Fonio Festival (FESTIFONIO) in Lomé through Saturday. The event is taking place at the Togolese Exhibition and Trade Center (CETEF).

The international gathering brings together producers, processors, researchers, investors and policymakers to advance the fonio sector.

The initiative aims to restore fonio’s place in local diets and agricultural policy. Long marginalized, the grain has demonstrated strong potential in nutrition and climate resilience. “Fonio is capable of growing where other crops fail,” said Bassane Bakoulmde, president of the Interprofessional Council of the Fonio Sector (CI2F).

Amid food security concerns and climate change, authorities see the crop as a driver of resilience. “Fonio is seen as a viable solution,” said Komla Martin Ségoh, representing the Ministry of Agriculture, who also highlighted its economic and social potential.

The festival program includes economic panels, B2B meetings, culinary demonstrations and training sessions. The goal is to develop the value chain, boost production and attract investment.

The two-day event is expected to increase fonio’s visibility, support rural employment and encourage the growth of local and regional markets. The sector could help diversify agriculture and reduce reliance on food imports.

In Togo, production is concentrated in the Plateaux, Kara and Savanes regions, with women playing a central role in processing and marketing.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo's Ministry of Public Service said 1,236 candidates passed a civil service exam held on Dec. 21, 2024, with results published on Thursday, April 23, 2026. They will join the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

The recruits cover a range of technical roles, including finance administrators, financial analysts, audit and management control officers, tax specialists, statisticians, economists and public procurement experts. The intake also includes econometricians, macroeconomists, Treasury inspectors and civil administrators.

The government said the recruitment drive aims to strengthen the civil service and enhance technical expertise. It is part of a broader government employment policy.

Additional competitive exams are expected across several sectors of the public service this year. The government recently announced a separate recruitment drive for 400 staff at the Ministry of Environment, Forest Resources, Coastal Protection and Climate Change.

Togo’s Plateforme industrielle d'Adétikopé (PIA) hosted a delegation from Port Autonome de Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo this week, as both sides seek to strengthen logistics and industrial links.

Led by Fortuné Mbouma-Peya, an adviser to the Congolese port’s director general, the delegation met PIA officials to discuss cooperation between port hubs and industrial zones. Talks focused on sharing best practices, optimizing supply chains and developing integrated logistics infrastructure.

The goal is to improve the efficiency of regional corridors and boost the competitiveness of African logistics hubs against international standards. The partnerships are also expected to support value-added production and industrialization, as African economies increasingly prioritize local processing.

Both sides said the cooperation could boost exports, ease trade flows and support industrial development as part of South-South cooperation.

Linked to the Port Autonome de Lomé, PIA aims to become a logistics and industrial hub in West Africa. The facility combines a dry port, processing infrastructure and a one-stop shop for administrative services. The model has attracted interest from other African ports, including Pointe-Noire, the main deepwater port in Central Africa.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo officially launched the Regional Agricultural Mechanization Center (CRMA) in Tové on Thursday. Located in the Plateaux region, the facility was inaugurated by National Assembly Speaker Komi Sélom Klassou during celebrations marking the country’s 66th independence anniversary.

The Tové CRMA is designed to serve the western part of the Plateaux region. It provides a range of services, including agricultural mechanization, farm input supply, soil testing via a mobile lab, logistics services, and technical training and support programs for farmers.

The center is expected to eventually benefit more than 600,000 producers. It aims to meet growing demand in a rapidly changing sector, with goals that include increasing yields, reducing manual labor, and fostering a more competitive agricultural industry.

The Tové CRMA is the result of a partnership between the Togolese government and Moroccan group OCP, the world’s leading phosphate producer. The project stems from agreements signed between the two parties in May 2023, aimed at improving farmers’ access to essential services.

For Hajar Alafifi, chief executive of OCP Africa, the initiative reflects South-South cooperation. “This project demonstrates a collaboration built on sharing expertise and implementing practical solutions to support agricultural development in Africa,” she said.

Designed as a technology hub, the CRMA offers five main services: agricultural equipment rental, mechanization services, the sale of machinery and spare parts, training and maintenance, and the supply of fertilizers tailored to local soils. The model is intended to be replicated across the country’s other economic regions. A similar center in the Kara region is set to be inaugurated on Friday, April 25, in Tchitchao.

Esaïe Edoh

Traffic on the Sadori–Kara section of National Road 1 (RN1) will be temporarily suspended from 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24, as authorities prepare for Togo’s 66th independence anniversary.

Togo marks its independence on April 27. According to the Savanes regional authorities, the restriction applies to motorized tricycles, light vehicles and heavy trucks. Detours have been set up to maintain traffic flow.

Motorists heading toward Lomé are advised to take National Road 17 (RN17) from Sadori in Oti prefecture, while those travelling toward Kara can use National Road 16 (RN16) from Kabou.

Authorities are urging drivers to comply with the measures to ensure smooth traffic flow and the orderly conduct of events.

Independence celebrations are expected to include various activities, including inauguration ceremonies in several parts of the country.

R.E.D