• NSCT signed agreements with three technical and agricultural training centers to strengthen youth employability in Togo’s cotton industry.

• The deal includes internship facilitation and gradual integration of students into cotton-related jobs.

• NSCT aims to align academic training with labor market needs while contributing to national development.

The Nouvelle Société Cotonnière du Togo (NSCT) signed a partnership on September 30 in Lomé with three institutions: the Technical and Vocational High School of Atakpamé (LETP), the Industrial Professions Training Center (CFMI), and the National Agricultural Training Institute (INFA) of Tové.

The agreement seeks to facilitate student internships and progressively integrate them into cotton sector jobs. NSCT said the initiative reflects its goal of aligning academic training with real industry needs to better prepare youth for the labor market.

“Investing in youth means investing in our country’s prosperity. NSCT intends to play its full role by offering young people not only practical experience but also the confidence needed to become actors of national development,” said Martin Drevon, NSCT’s managing director.

Through this initiative, NSCT goes beyond its traditional role of supporting producers to boost cotton output. The company also positions itself as a key contributor to qualified workforce training and sustainable national development.

• Togo and Austria signed a memorandum of understanding in New York to regulate mobility and migration.

• The deal emphasizes youth employment and entrepreneurship within safe, regular migration frameworks.

• The agreement builds on Austria’s labor needs and its deepening ties with Togo, including its embassy opening in 2023.

Togo and Austria signed a memorandum of understanding last week in New York on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly. Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey and Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger signed the accord.

“This memorandum formally demonstrates the shared commitment of Vienna and Lomé to promote Youth employment and entrepreneurship within the framework of safe and regular migration.” Dussey said.

I had the great pleasure of signing, with my #Austrian counterpart H.E. Beate Meinl-Reisinger @BMeinl Federal Minister of European and International Affairs, a MOU between our two countries on development, #mobility and #migration.
This memorandum formally demonstrates the shared… pic.twitter.com/oX6mlP6XRP

— Robert Dussey (@rdussey) September 26, 2025

Officials have not disclosed detailed terms. However, the deal aims to structure mobility between the two countries, focusing on professional, academic, and circular migration. The partners intend to reduce irregular migration and improve security for migrant pathways.

The agreement comes as Austria seeks labor in specific sectors and works to diversify migration partnerships, especially in Africa. Togo, for its part, aims to expand opportunities for training and employment for its youth population.

The deal also reinforces relations between Lomé and Vienna. In October 2023, Austria opened an embassy in Togo, marking a milestone in bilateral cooperation.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• CHU-Campus Lomé has launched the elaboration of its 2026–2030 Hospital Establishment Project (PEH) to redefine its role and modernize infrastructure.
• Director-General Dr. Essotom Assina Kalao said the hospital faces capacity limits, stressing quality of care and maintenance of future equipment.
• The reform aligns with national hospital modernization efforts and complements two major investment projects in urgent care and rehabilitation.

The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Campus in Lomé launched on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, the development of its Hospital Establishment Project (PEH) for 2026–2030. The initiative aims to redefine the positioning of Togo’s second-largest university hospital and modernize its facilities.

Founded in 1988 with 200 beds, CHU-Campus now employs over 540 staff but struggles with increasing demand linked to demographic and epidemiological transitions.

“Our capacities are exceeded. The quality of care is a strategic priority that must guide our actions,” said Director-General Dr. Essotom Assina Kalao. He emphasized the need to anticipate equipment maintenance to avoid rapid obsolescence.

The PEH will run for five years starting in 2026, with two interim evaluations. It forms part of a broader hospital reform strategy led by the Ministry of Health.

The reform overlaps with two ongoing projects. The Public Investment Project (PIP), launched in 2022, has strengthened hospital equipment and will add an emergency complex and new specialized services. The Ellipse Rehabilitation Project, scheduled for early 2026, will modernize buildings and install advanced equipment, including MRI, operating theaters, and nephrology services.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Trade Minister Rose Kayi Mivedor said local firms saw 40% average revenue growth over five years from the “Consume Local” initiative.
• She urged improvements in standards, pricing, and packaging to boost the competitiveness of Togolese products.
• Government agencies including HAUQE and the standards authority are mobilized to align products with international norms.

Rose Kayi Mivedor, Minister of Trade and Local Consumption, announced priorities for the sixth edition of the “Consume Local Month” in Togo. Speaking to journalists this week, she stressed the need to improve product quality, strengthen compliance with standards, and increase competitiveness of “Made in Togo” goods.

The minister highlighted a positive track record from the first five editions, noting that local companies participating recorded an average 40% growth in revenues. However, she said more must be done to scale up.

“The price-quality ratio is not always favorable to local products. We must strengthen quality infrastructure, enforce standards, and support businesses so their products meet consumer expectations,” she said.

The government has engaged several agencies to address these challenges, including the High Authority for Quality and Environment (HAUQE), the Togolese Standards Agency, and national laboratories. The objective is to provide consumers with products that meet international standards and can compete on regional markets.

Organizers of the sixth edition aim to emphasize the importance of transformation and industrial upgrading. The goal is to position local consumption as a tool of economic sovereignty. The official launch of the month-long initiative will take place on October 9.

• BCEAO launched the interoperable Instant Payments Platform (PI-PSI) on September 30, enabling 24/7 secure fund transfers across UEMOA countries.
• In Togo, Coris Bank, Ecobank, and Orabank are the first operational banks, with others set to join later.
• The platform, supported by the Gates Foundation and AfDB, aims to boost financial inclusion, reduce transaction costs, and strengthen regional integration.

The West African States Central Bank (BCEAO) officially launched the interoperable Instant Payments Platform (PI-PSI) on September 30 in Dakar. Governor Jean-Claude Kassi-Brou presided over the event, which was broadcast to Lomé via videoconference. The launch marks a major step in modernizing digital payments across the eight UEMOA countries, including Togo.

The platform allows instant, irrevocable transfers between banks, microfinance institutions, e-money issuers, and payment service providers. Authorities said the system will cut transaction times and costs while promoting financial inclusion and encouraging electronic payments over cash.

Three Banks Operational in Togo

In Togo, Coris Bank, Ecobank, and Orabank currently operate on the platform, according to BCEAO. Additional institutions, including BOA, BIAT, Cofina, and Sunu Bank Togo, plan to join in the future.

Monetary authorities said the platform will strengthen competitiveness and regional integration. Guy Martial Awona, CEO of Orabank Togo and president of the UEMOA banking federation, called the launch a “decisive step toward an ecosystem where banks, microfinance institutions, and fintechs converge on a single infrastructure.”

Awona added the initiative will benefit Togolese consumers with faster, more accessible services tailored to the needs of a growing digital economy.

The platform’s implementation received financial backing from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the African Development Bank.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• The AfDB and Togo reviewed a CFA353 billion portfolio of 25 active projects, with a disbursement rate of only 37.25%.
• The review identified delays in project starts, procurement bottlenecks, and weak follow-up as persistent challenges.
• The AfDB pledged additional resources and new measures, including the PAP 2025 plan, to improve efficiency and quality.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Togolese government concluded their 2025 country portfolio review last week, covering CFA353 billion across 25 active projects. The review produced an operational action plan with recommendations to strengthen efficiency and improve project quality.

Officials highlighted progress in electricity access, agricultural productivity, and reduced border transit times, in line with the government’s Togo 2025 roadmap. However, they also noted ongoing challenges such as slow project start-ups, complex procurement procedures, and weak monitoring of recommendations.

AfDB Country Manager Wilfried Abiola said the portfolio’s overall disbursement rate stood at 37.25%, with stronger results in finance (63%) and agriculture (43%). He stressed the need to address bottlenecks through the Portfolio Performance Improvement Plan (PAP 2025), better project quality at entry, and faster disbursement timelines.

The AfDB reaffirmed its commitment to mobilize additional resources for Togo’s development priorities while reinforcing joint monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

Recent initiatives backed by the institution include a CFA131.2 billion partial credit guarantee, the CFA20.1 billion Kara Phase II agro-food transformation project, and a CFA40 billion 42 MWac solar power plant in Sokodé.

These investments reflect the AfDB’s strategy to combine infrastructure development with financial support instruments to unlock private sector growth.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• EBID approved $308 million in loans for projects in Guinea and Nigeria during its 93rd board session in Lomé.
• President George Agyekum Donkor warned that U.S. export tariffs are fueling inflation across African economies.
• Global monetary easing allows EBID to borrow on international markets at more competitive rates.

The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) is adapting its strategy as global economic signals remain mixed. Meeting in Lomé for its 93rd board session, the bank approved financing for projects in Guinea and Nigeria while addressing the impact of international trade and monetary policies.

EBID President George Agyekum Donkor said U.S. export tariffs imposed under the Trump administration continue to create inflationary pressures that spill over into African economies. “These taxes increase the price of products and services and generate a direct impact on our economies,” Donkor said.

Rising production and service costs are squeezing households and reducing the competitiveness of local businesses, he added.

At the same time, EBID is closely monitoring global monetary trends. The U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points, while the European Central Bank lowered its benchmark rate twice, in January and June.

Donkor said these easing cycles enable EBID to raise funds on international markets at more competitive terms, strengthening its capacity to finance projects in member states. “These policies allow us to borrow at competitive rates to finance impactful projects,” he said.

During the Lomé session, EBID announced $308 million in new loans for four projects. In Guinea, Vista Guinée will channel funds into SME and MSME financing. In Nigeria’s Taraba State, EBID will support energy and agro-industrial ventures in the country’s center-east, which is also the most populous ECOWAS member.

By leveraging favorable financing conditions while countering trade-related shocks, EBID aims to sustain its role as a key development financier in West Africa.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• Togo and Benin approved three instruments for the Mono River Basin: a monitoring system, a coordination mechanism, and a Gender Strategy 2025-2030.
• The Global Environment Facility (GEF) funds the $5 million IREE-Mono project over 48 months.
• Officials warn that climate change, pollution, and land degradation threaten food security and productive capacity in the basin.

Authorities from Togo and Benin, together with technical partners, launched a three-day workshop in Lomé on September 29 to advance the Regional Initiative for Water and Environment in the Transboundary Mono River Basin (IREE-Mono). The project seeks to establish coordinated and sustainable management of the 530-km river, which sustains 4 million people across 24,300 km².

The Mono River underpins agriculture, fisheries, and energy in the region, but growing threats such as climate change, pollution, land degradation, and water insecurity are eroding its productivity, according to the Mono Basin Authority.

The Lomé meeting validated three instruments: a monitoring and evaluation system, a coordination mechanism, and a Gender Strategy 2025-2030.

“Gender integration is not a simple add-on, but a sine qua non condition for sustainability,” said Yawo Ewoenam Zegue, Secretary-General of Togo’s Ministry of Water and Sanitation. The gender framework aims to improve women’s and youth participation in water and agriculture, where they remain underrepresented despite central roles.

“The monitoring and evaluation system will improve performance, measure progress, identify weaknesses, and capitalize on best practices,” said Dadja Gnakpaou, Executive Director of the Mono Basin Authority. He highlighted underuse of water resources, environmental degradation, and limited data availability as central challenges.

$5 Million Investment

Launched in January 2025, IREE-Mono is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with a $5 million budget for 48 months. The project seeks integrated and coordinated management of the basin’s resources.

Beyond environmental goals, IREE-Mono aims to strengthen Togo-Benin economic cooperation, boost agricultural productivity, preserve fisheries ecosystems, and build resilience in rural communities. Both countries want to transform the fragile resource into a driver of inclusive and sustainable development.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum

• An IMF team led by Hans Weisfeld began a review mission in Lomé on September 29 under Togo’s $403.4 million Extended Credit Facility (ECF).
• The mission will assess growth, inflation, social indicators, and implementation of energy subsidy reforms.
• The review could unlock a new disbursement, adding to $129 million already received since the program’s approval in March 2024.

Togo began hosting an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission on September 29 as part of the third review of its Extended Credit Facility (ECF). The delegation, led by Hans Weisfeld, will stay in Lomé until October 10.

The 42-month facility totals SDR 293.6 million (about $400 million) and was approved in March 2024. The program seeks to stabilize Togo’s economy and accelerate structural reforms.

The IMF team will hold talks with Togolese authorities on recent economic developments and medium-term prospects. The discussions will cover growth, inflation, national accounts, social indicators, and the government’s energy subsidy adjustment mechanism.

Officials expect that successful completion of the review could open the way for a new disbursement. The ECF agreement provides $403.4 million in total financing on concessional terms to help Togo absorb economic shocks since 2020.

The IMF has already disbursed about $129 million to Togo since March 2024 under the facility. The program aims to make growth more inclusive, strengthen debt sustainability, and advance structural reforms to boost activity and limit fiscal and financial risks.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum