Lomé will host a new edition of the International Women's Entrepreneurship Fair (SIEF) on July 31 and Aug. 1, 2026, organizers said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Backed by Fondation Citoyens d’Afrique and KD Group, the event aims to serve as a pan-African platform for training, networking and promoting women-led entrepreneurial initiatives. “The International Women's Entrepreneurship Fair is not just an event; it is a pan-African platform,” said organizer Kayi Dogbé.

The 2026 edition will focus on the theme of “entrepreneurial risk in the African context” and aims to strengthen participants’ skills in strategic, financial and organizational management.

The program includes a conference, training sessions, networking activities and a project pitch competition.

Beyond the event, SIEF aims to help strengthen the women’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Limited access to funding and information remains a major obstacle. “Funding exists, but women often cannot access it,” Dogbé said.

Top Prize Set at 5 Million CFA Francs

A highlight of the event is the pitch competition for the Grand African Prize for Women's Entrepreneurship. The top prize for 2026 is about 5 million CFA francs, with additional support from partners, including services and business assistance.

Several secondary awards of around 1 million CFA francs each are also planned, along with support in training, visibility and digital tools. The aim is to go beyond financial rewards by providing follow-up support and backing business growth.

The previous edition, held in August 2025 in Lomé, drew more than 1,000 participants from 13 African countries.

The private sector is also involved. Official partner Yas Togo plans to support winners and help digitalize their activities. As women-led initiatives rise across Africa, SIEF aims to strengthen skills and improve access to markets and financing.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

The third edition of the Biashara Africa Forum will take place in Lomé from May 18 to 20, 2026, with Togolese authorities confirming the new dates on Wednesday, April 22, at a press conference. The event had initially been scheduled for October 2025 before being postponed to November.

The Lomé forum will bring together African and international investors looking to identify opportunities across key sectors in Togo and elsewhere on the continent. More than 1,500 participants from several African countries are expected in the capital.

Participants will include policymakers and private sector representatives, who will discuss intra-African trade and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). This year’s forum will focus in particular on identifying investment opportunities and tackling barriers to access to African markets.

Throughout the event, businesses will have access to commercial insights, market entry data and regulatory information aimed at supporting expansion strategies and easing integration into continental markets.

Togolese Minister of Economy and Strategic Foresight Badanam Patoki said the program will include conferences led by public and private sector leaders, thematic panels on intra-African trade, as well as B2B meetings and networking sessions.

The forum will also feature a gala evening titled “Biashara Africa Night,” alongside exhibitions structured around an international pavilion and a national pavilion known as “Village Togo.”

Esaïe Edoh

More than 6 million Togolese were issued a National Unique Identification Number (NIU) by late December 2025 under the e-ID Togo program. The figure comes from the Permanent Secretariat for Monitoring Reform Policies and Financial Programs’ report on reforms implemented in the second half of 2025, which was published recently.

The 6 million NIU holders were registered through campaigns run by the National Identification Agency (ANID). Those campaigns helped speed up biometric registration across the country, including in Greater Lomé and rural areas.

In 2025, registration operations were carried out in several parts of the country under the oversight of the Ministry of Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation. In each area, residents were issued both a biometric card and a unique number.

The NIU is a biometric card fitted with a secure QR code. It is meant to make it easier to access services requiring proof of identity, including public and social services such as healthcare, social security and financial services. It will also allow the authorities to build a centralized national database to improve public policy planning and service delivery.

The national biometric registration campaign is part of the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion project (WURI-Togo), which is financed by the World Bank with $72 million.

Esaïe Edoh

Togolese authorities have launched a new phase of climate disaster response after a series of events between 2020 and 2024, including floods, high winds, heavy rains, droughts and fires. The disasters caused significant loss of life, damaged property and weakened infrastructure.

In response, the government has introduced the Post-Climate Disaster Reconstruction and Community Support Project (PRECO).

The project aims to secure funding from the Loss and Damage Fund, an international mechanism targeting countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts. The West African Development Bank (BOAD), based in Lomé, is supporting the initiative.

A technical workshop opened in Lomé on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, bringing together sectoral ministries, national agencies, local authorities, civil society, the private sector and international partners. The objective is to identify priority areas, assess needs and prepare a structured financing proposal.

The sessions are expected to produce a sustainable reconstruction strategy and a roadmap, paving the way for the project’s official submission to the Fund.

Strengthening systems

Beyond reconstruction, the project also aims to strengthen early warning systems, improve institutional coordination and reduce vulnerability in affected communities. Authorities are seeking to secure external financing and channel investment into more resilient infrastructure, amid pressure on public finances.

BOAD has already provided financial support to Togo following recent flooding. In November 2024, the institution mobilized 6.6 million euros (about 4.3 billion CFA francs) to address immediate needs and support initial reconstruction efforts.

The funding was provided through the PACAN mechanism, part of a regional financing and insurance framework designed to strengthen rapid response capacity and support the long-term resilience of infrastructure exposed to climate risks.

West African tax administrations have gathered in Lomé since Tuesday, April 21, 2026, to discuss tax system governance. The meeting is jointly organized by the International Monetary Fund’s Regional Technical Assistance Center for West Africa (AFRITAC West) and the UEMOA Commission.

In the Togolese capital, heads of tax administrations from AFRITAC West member countries are examining obstacles to the effectiveness of fiscal systems in the sub-region. The meeting will run for four days. Discussions are expected to define governance strategies to improve administrative performance and strengthen the credibility of tax authorities.

Participants will also share best practices and practical experiences across countries, with a focus on strengthening integrity and transparency in fiscal management. They will address persistent challenges highlighted by Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT) evaluations, including low revenue mobilization and inflexible public spending.

The meeting also aims to advance regional harmonization of tax practices. It will support ongoing efforts to develop a regional best-practices guide and consider the creation of a regional observatory for fiscal performance.

Organizers say the workshop is intended as a practical step toward building more efficient and transparent tax administrations, better equipped to support national priorities.

Esaïe Edoh

The Autonomous District of Greater Lome (DAGL) in Togo has launched a national competition to design its logo and brand guidelines. The initiative aims to give the institution its own visual identity, years after it was established, as it currently uses the Togolese Republic’s official coat of arms.

The competition is open exclusively to Togolese citizens and primarily targets young creatives. According to official information, the three best proposals will receive prizes of 1 million CFA francs for first place, 500,000 CFA francs for second place, and 300,000 CFA francs for third place, bringing the total prize pool to 1.8 million CFA francs.

The DAGL is a territorial entity that encompasses the prefectures of Golfe and Agoe-Nyive, along with their 13 municipalities. Officials said the future logo must reflect the identity of a cosmopolitan city that blends tradition and modernity. It must also be legible and adaptable across formats.

To participate, candidates must submit a full application including a graphic proposal and detailed brand guidelines. Required deliverables include various digital formats in color and black and white, as well as mockups for different communication materials.

The submission deadline is May 20, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo took part in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group held from April 13 to 18 in Washington. On the sidelines, the Togolese delegation met with officials from the Bretton Woods institutions to discuss the country’s economic outlook.

During the bilateral meetings, authorities focused on measures to mitigate the impact of ongoing crises and improve preparedness for future shocks. Options discussed included fast-disbursing crisis response instruments, financial guarantee schemes, and targeted social protection for vulnerable households.

“These meetings helped identify concrete solutions to address the effects of current crises while strengthening our ability to anticipate future shocks,” said Sandra Ablamba Johnson, Minister Secretary of the Presidency of the Council and World Bank Governor for Togo.

The talks also covered the development of forward-looking tools to detect economic vulnerabilities early, strengthen land tenure security, and accelerate investment in key sectors such as energy, digital infrastructure, and agriculture.

In a volatile global economic environment, Togo aims to strengthen its economic resilience over the long term and advance its structural transformation. The discussions are expected to support new financing opportunities, including through stronger public-private partnerships, increased private investment, and reforms aimed at sustaining growth.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo is accelerating its transition toward green energy, targeting 50% renewables in its energy mix by 2030. As the sector adapts, the air conditioning market has seen a new development.

CH2000, a company specializing in renewable energy solutions, expanded its product range on Wednesday in Lome by unveiling a hybrid solar air conditioning system.

The unit, called SunCool, is designed to run primarily on solar power while remaining connected to the power grid.

Company officials said the system uses intelligent power management and can operate entirely on solar energy, on the grid, or by combining both sources as needed. Switching is automatic and seamless, thanks to an electronic system that adjusts consumption in real time.

Previously, conventional air conditioners could be powered by solar systems only when paired with additional equipment such as batteries or inverters. According to CH2000 management, what sets this system apart is its ability to integrate solar power without requiring such components, using built-in electronic management instead.

The aim is to reduce reliance on the grid, optimize the use of solar energy, and limit long-term wear and tear.

“Our ambition is to offer professionals a high-performance, reliable and durable solution that can significantly reduce energy consumption while ensuring optimal comfort,” said Serge Adote, General Manager of CH2000.

Amid rising energy demand and ongoing power supply challenges, renewable energy solutions are gaining traction. Solar energy, in particular, reflects efforts to adapt to local conditions, where abundant sunshine is a key advantage.

Gautier Agbekodovi