Togo’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-T) is introducing the latest tax reforms to SMEs active in the country. The Chamber launched a series of meetings in this framework on February 10. They are hosted across the country, including the capital. 

At the end of the program, participating businesses should better understand tax issues, thus contributing to a more competitive business environment.

On Monday, Chamber of Commerce President José Kwassi Simenouh said the move will help avoid management errors. He noted that tax knowledge is crucial for the long-term success of growing SMEs. "It's essential that business leaders understand what taxes are. (...) What we expect is a preventive attitude to avoid making mistakes that could lead to tax reassessments,” said Simenouh.

Pidassa Awali, Managing Director of FISCCA-RH, a training firm, emphasized that the new law aims to equip the private sector by facilitating access to essential information. “The Finance Act is not simply a regulatory framework, it is designed to support and strengthen the capacities of the private sector”, he explained.

The initiative is particularly geared toward young companies, providing them with tools to navigate a complex tax framework. The workshops close on February 13.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Togo is participating in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris, France. Opened on February 10, 2025, the summit has gathered heads of state, researchers, companies, and civil society representatives.

Togo is represented by Cina Lawson, Minister for Digital Transformation. On February 11, Lawson spoke at a conference themed: "AI at the service of development: solutions for a sustainable and inclusive future." This conference was co-organized by Togo and the French Development Agency (AFD). It focused on how AI can effectively serve developing countries, and how these countries can address their social, economic, and environmental issues.

Last November, Cina Lawson initiated a series of meetings under the theme “Around AI”. These roundtables, aimed at drawing a national AI strategy, gathered many experts and entrepreneurs. At the time, the French Embassy in Togo had praised the initiative and Togo’s commitment to tech innovation.

The ongoing summit in Paris primarily aims to balance innovation and regulation relative to AI. The talks will focus on equitable access to technologies, AI’s environmental impact, and setting a suitable global governance.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

Togo will send six film productions to the Festival Panafricain du Cinéma et de la Télévision de Ouagadougou (FESPACO), set to run from February 22 to March 1, 2025. The figure, a record, reflects a dynamic and expanding local film industry.

The selected films span a variety of categories, showcasing the breadth of Togolese talent. These include entries in critical review, series, animation, perspective, and film school productions.

Adding to the excitement, young Togolese director Dogossa Birregah has been chosen to participate in the Yennenga Academy, a program designed to nurture emerging film talent from across the continent.

The Ministry of Culture sees this success as a clear indicator of the industry's upward trajectory and the increasing recognition of Togolese cinema on the international stage.

This surge in FESPACO selections comes as Togo's government strives to boost the cultural and creative sectors, as it wants to have them drive economic growth, employment, and Togo’s reputation.

Last December, Lomé launched a five-year strategy to boost the local film industry. This strategy focuses on training and promoting Togolese productions worldwide.

This article was initially published in French by Esaïe Edoh

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

Togolese entrepreneurs can apply to the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) startup funding program and get seed funding of $5,000. 

Last Friday, a TEF awareness session was held to inform entrepreneurs who may be interested. The Ministry of Grassroots Development and Youth Employment, and the National Agency for Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) backed the workshop. Participants learned about TEF's support mechanisms.

Every year, the TEF, founded in 2015 by Nigerian banking mogul Tony Elumelu, runs an incubation program that supports young African entrepreneurs, giving them funding, skills, and networking opportunities.

Young entrepreneurs with businesses that are less than five years old were informed about the program's stages: application, training, business plan review, and access to start-up capital. Since its launch, the TEF backed over 20,000 entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries. It has invested over $100 million in their projects. 

Interested entrepreneurs have until March 1 to apply to the TEF funding program.

This article was initially published in French by Ayi Renaud Dossavi 

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

Lomé seeks to become a major arbitration center in sea and financial disputes, joining big cities like London, Hong Kong, and Paris. Last week, from February 3 to 5, the Togolese capital hosted The Power of Lomé Arbitration Week (L.A.W). According to Martial Akakpo, who heads the Centre International d'Arbitrage et de Médiation (CIAM), the L.A.W supported the ambition. 

Severa assets position Lomé to aim for the position of top arbitration center–its geographical position being the first. Lomé is the only city in the region to have a deep-water port. Also, the Port of Lomé receives the latest ships, due to its strategic position for developing and operating maritime and financial infrastructure.

It is worth noting that the development of maritime activities in the Gulf of Guinea–especially ship operation and management, navigation, transport of goods, repairs, commission, logistics, sales, charter parties, insurance, etc–has given rise to conflicts, disputes, and differences. And these are best settled by mediation and arbitration.

At the recent ¨Power of the L.A.W, it was indicated that “Lomé's dominant position as the headquarters of sub-regional financial institutions such as BOAD, BIDC, ETI, AGF, CICA-RE and its proximity to the regional stock exchange in Abidjan reinforces the need to reflect on the efficiency and appropriateness of arbitration procedures for disputes in complex areas such as banking and financial law.” During the forum’s opening ceremony, Balkissou Alfa Hassan Sido Kado, who handles dispute resolution across the African Free Trade Continental Area (AfCFTA), emphasized the importance of arbitration and mediation to resolve business disagreements across Africa.

According to Me Martial Akakpo, head of the Centre International d'Arbitrage et de Médiation (CIAM), capturing a portion of the resolution of maritime disputes presents a significant challenge for Lomé. Success hinges on support from maritime and financial stakeholders, as well as the State, which is called upon to establish an appropriate legislative framework and specialized judicial institutions, including a specialized chamber for appeals against arbitral awards

“The Power of L.A.W.” has gathered lawyers, business leaders, investment groups, banks, development partners, as well as regional and international experts.

This article was initially published in French by Séna Akoda

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho

The Gnassingbé Eyadema International Airport (AIGE) of Lomé, Togo, is slated for further expansion works. This project was a key topic during discussions at the National Assembly concerning the 2025 Finance Law in late December 2024.

The expansion aims to increase the airport's capacity and support Togo's ambition to become a regional logistics hub. The expansion should help the facility receive more passengers–2 million per year, against 1.4 million now.

The initiative includes enlarging waiting areas by 500 seats to improve passenger flow for departures, connections, and arrivals. The southward terminal will also be extended to enhance safety and security, in line with international standards.

This expansion is part of a broader effort to modernize the airport, including building and operating a hotel for transit passengers. This should attract more international airlines to the Togolese capital, where about 10 currently operate. New carriers could also flock to Lomé, strengthening Togo's position in West African airspace.

The AIGE was previously rehabilitated in 2016.

Esaïe Edoh

The Djanta Tech Hub in Lomé, Togo, will offer Human Centered Design (HCD) training on February 21 and 22, 2025.

The two sessions, organized with the Co-Creation Hub (CcHub), target digital and innovation professionals—from entrepreneurs to students—to enhance their skills in design thinking and product creation.

Participants in these interactive workshops will learn to design innovative and economically viable products that meet market demands. They will also learn how to better understand and solve user challenges. Each session is limited to 50 participants. The workshop will be broadcast online via Zoom.

The Djanta Tech Hub supports the transformation of Togo's entrepreneurial ecosystem, focusing on startups in tech, agritech, and edtech.

During the third quarter of 2024, outstanding loans by microfinance institutions in Togo stood at CFA395.6 billion. This is CFA35.8 billion more than the previous quarter (+9.9%). The figures were disclosed in a recent report from the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO). Togo surpassed Senegal (4.4%), Côte d'Ivoire (4.8%), Burkina Faso (3.1%), and Benin (2.5%) in quarterly growth. 

Over half (50.4%) of the loans provided by Togolese microfinance institutions were short-term. They were followed by medium-term and long-term loans (30.9% and 18.7%, respectively).

Regarding deposits, they also increased in Q3 2024, by CFA8.5 billion or 2.1% to reach CFA 415.3 billion (+2.1%). Here, Togo did not do as well as Senegal (5.9%) and Côte d'Ivoire (2.6%), but it exceeded Burkina Faso (1.1%) and Mali (3.3%). 

In Q3 2024, outstanding loans extended by microfinance institutions in Togo reached nearly CFA400 billion (CFA395.697 billion), up by 13.3% year-on-year.

Across the West African Monetary Union (UEMOA), outstanding deposits collected by microfinance institutions in Q3 2024 increased by CFA66.8 billion (2.8%) to CFA2,459.6 billion, against Q2 2024.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

Last week, the Togolese Ministry of Social Action and Women's Rights announced a national campaign to provide 1,000 women with supplementary judgments in place of birth certificates.

This initiative, part of the International Women's Rights Day 2025 celebration on March 8, is a collaboration with the Ministries of Territorial Administration and Justice. The goal is to ease the difficulties faced by many women who lack access to identity documents, despite legal guarantees.

Abidé Kpessi, Director of Gender and Women's Rights, explained the initiative: “The right to identity is guaranteed by law. But in practice, women are unable to access these identity documents.”

The campaign will reach 200 women in each region. Beneficiaries will be selected by prefects, traditional chiefs, and regional directors from the Ministry of Social Action.

This year's International Women's Rights Day theme is "For all women and girls: rights, equality, and empowerment".