Forty-six women's cooperatives and groups in Togo's Savanes region have received agricultural equipment valued at 100 million CFA francs, authorities said. The equipment, funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), was handed over in Dapaong late last week.

The package includes tricycles, roasters, corn and spice mills, motorized pumps with accessories, and power tillers. It also features rice threshers, grain winnowers, soybean shellers, and multi-function threshers for corn, rice and soybean. Additional equipment includes multi-function shellers for corn, soybean and beans with integrated winnowing systems, peanut hullers, and a dryer for cereals, tubers and fruits.

Program officials said the support is expected to strengthen the resilience of the women’s groups by enabling them to expand income-generating activities using appropriate equipment. The initiative also aims to improve productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and facilitate market access.

The UNDP said the donation is intended to support the agricultural sector, a pillar of the local economy and a key driver of social stability, particularly in border areas.

The initiative is part of the Emergency Program for Resilience Strengthening (PURS), which brings together the UNDP and other U.N. partners to support vulnerable populations.

Esaïe Edoh

Gnassingbé Eyadema International Airport (AIGE) in Lomé is marking the 10th anniversary of its new terminal, which opened in 2016. Over the past decade, the airport has developed into a key sub-regional transit hub, supported by rising passenger traffic and increased flight operations.

Growth has accelerated in recent years. Passenger numbers have doubled over five years to around 1.6 million annually, nearing the terminal’s design capacity of 2 million passengers per year.

This expansion has been driven in part by Lomé-based ASKY Airlines, which operates an extensive regional network with dozens of daily flights.

While transit passengers account for a significant share of traffic, cargo volumes and aircraft movements have also increased, according to the airport operator.

Expansion Plans

Airport authorities are now considering a new phase of investment to keep pace with traffic growth. Plans include expanding the existing terminal as well as developing a new terminal to meet future demand.

A hotel project is also planned, with a 165-room DoubleTree by Hilton expected to serve transit passengers and enhance the airport’s service offering.

Over the longer term, AIGE aims to handle 5 million passengers by 2045. Achieving this target will require a significant expansion of infrastructure and a stronger position as a regional hub.

Ten years after opening, the Lomé terminal has reached a more mature stage. The challenge for authorities is now to manage rising traffic while maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly crowded regional market.

To mark the anniversary on April 25, 2026, Société Aéroportuaire de Lomé-Tokoin (SALT) launched the “Aéro Festival” on Thursday, April 16, in Lomé. The initiative, organized in collaboration with the transport ministry, is intended to highlight progress made over the past decade. The festival runs through May 2 and includes educational, cultural, sports and social activities.

R.E.D

Togo’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo) and the University of Lomé signed a partnership agreement last week aimed at strengthening the private sector and better aligning academic training with labor market needs.

The agreement was signed by CCI-Togo President José Kwassi Symenouh and University of Lomé President Kossivi Hounaké. It builds on existing cooperation, including a language training program in English and Chinese for business operators.

Under the deal, both institutions plan to work more closely together to support the country’s economic, social and cultural development. The five-year agreement commits them to pooling resources to deliver training tailored to market needs.

As part of the partnership, the two sides plan to set up a business language center focused on corporate needs, with an emphasis on English and Chinese. Launching a business school is also a priority, with the aim of training a new generation of executives familiar with local and regional economic conditions.

Symenouh said the agreement was “necessary to build a bridge between the university and the world of work and help young graduates enter the workforce.”

Hounaké described the deal as an institutional alliance with a promising future. He said making higher education more job-oriented was a priority and called for a university more responsive to private sector needs.

The partnership is expected to improve the alignment between training and market demand, boost youth employability and support the competitiveness of Togolese businesses. A similar agreement is also planned with the University of Kara.

Esaïe Edoh

Stakeholders in Togo’s shea industry met in Lomé last week for a national workshop to strengthen coordination across the sector. The initiative was led by the Togolese Coordination of Peasant and Agricultural Producer Organizations (CTOP) as part of broader efforts to better organize and develop a sector considered strategic for the rural economy.

The workshop aimed to improve coordination among producers, processors and exporters in order to boost the competitiveness of Togolese shea on regional and international markets. The sector provides income for many rural women but faces persistent constraints, including limited access to financing, logistical bottlenecks and low levels of local processing.

Participants emphasized the need to build technical capacity, improve product quality and expand public-private partnerships. They also called for dedicated financing mechanisms to support local initiatives.

The Lomé meeting follows an earlier workshop held in Kara last March, where stakeholders discussed development and sustainability challenges in the shea sector.

The event comes as the Togolese government steps up efforts to promote priority value chains. Since the start of the year, it has introduced import taxes on several products, including shea.

Togo is the world’s seventh-largest shea producer, with annual output estimated at between 35,000 and 50,000 tons of shea nuts.

Esaïe Edoh

Lome Container Terminal (LCT) on Thursday relaunched its customer service unit as part of a broader effort to modernize operations and improve user experience at the Port of Lome.

The move aims to shift the focus of logistics operations toward service quality, amid sustained growth in port activity and in line with ISO 9001 standards.

At the core of the overhaul is a one-stop service point designed to streamline client interactions. Billing and appointment services have been consolidated, replacing a fragmented system with multiple contact points.

"Our clients were facing delays and had little visibility into how their requests were handled," said Merveille Beguedou, head of customer service.

Complaints are now centralized, processed and tracked until resolution, with systematic feedback provided to users. The reorganization, aimed at improving responsiveness and service delivery, also includes the merger of certain departments, notably those handling scheduling and billing.

The relaunch comes as traffic at the Port of Lome rose 17 percent in March 2026, according to Edem Tengue, minister delegate for maritime economy, increasing pressure on infrastructure and organizational capacity.

"Performance is not measured by equipment alone, but also by the ability to resolve clients' problems quickly," Tengue said.

For LCT General Manager Tim Vancampen, the overhaul reflects a cultural shift toward world-class port services. It is built on four pillars: a single point of contact providing clear and simple access to services; an independent customer service unit reporting directly to senior management; a stronger focus on complaints management to ensure fast, effective and traceable handling; and a commitment to improving service quality and transparency.

The move comes as the operator deepens its partnership with MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world's leading container shipping and logistics group.

In parallel, LCT is pursuing an investment program of around 100 million euros, including dredging works and the acquisition of new gantry cranes expected within a year.

With nearly 90 percent of its activity focused on transshipment, the terminal is a key link in Togo's positioning as a regional logistics hub. The customer service reorganization aims to reduce friction in local operations and inland transit.

The reform has been welcomed by the port community, although UPRAD (Union Professionnelle des Agréés en Douane), the professional union of licensed customs agents, said it expects considerably more effort.

With this overhaul, LCT is betting on service quality as a driver of competitiveness in an increasingly competitive port environment.

S.A

Togo’s hydrocarbon sector is changing as operators modernize services and consumer habits evolve. In an increasingly competitive market, customer loyalty has become a central commercial priority.

Against this backdrop, Compagnie Africaine de Pétrole (CAP Togo) on Thursday, April 16 launched “MyCAP”, a loyalty program for service station customers. The scheme is based on a points system: customers earn points on each fuel purchase and can redeem them for discounts and other rewards.

The program applies to both e-cap card users and cash-paying customers. For cash customers, enrollment begins once they reach a minimum consumption threshold, making them eligible for a loyalty card. That card is then used to record transactions and accumulate points through an electronic payment terminal.

According to CAP Togo deputy general manager Adenyo Koudjo Bruno, the program forms part of a broader effort to reshape customer relationships. “MyCAP allows us to move beyond a purely commercial relationship and build a more sustained link with our customers by rewarding their loyalty and repeat purchases across our network,” he said.

Commercial director Aïda Bako said the system was designed to be inclusive. “The objective is to ensure that all our customers, whether they use electronic solutions or pay in cash, can benefit from the same rewards and recognition across the network,” she said.

More broadly, the initiative reflects a wider shift in the hydrocarbon sector, where the growing digitalization of services is going hand in hand with the expansion of loyalty programs. Service stations are increasingly becoming spaces where customer relationship management depends on digital tools and personalized transaction tracking.

It remains unclear how widely consumers will adopt these systems and what effect they will have on purchasing habits.

Gautier Agbekodovi

Togo’s Ministry Delegate for Energy and Mining Resources has announced an audit of extraction volumes, related revenues and compliance with mining regulations in construction material quarries. A call for expressions of interest has been launched to recruit a consultant to lead the mission.

According to the ministry, the initiative aims to collect and analyze data from the extractive sector. The audit will include site visits to assess conditions, gather technical data and inspect measurement equipment using modern, reliable tools.

The operation will also involve reconstructing the initial state of deposits, estimating extracted volumes in a standardized unit and documenting key assumptions. Field data will then be cross-checked against reported and fiscal data, including company declarations, local authority records and payments of taxes, duties, royalties and local development contributions.

In addition, the audit will review environmental and social compliance based on existing permits and field observations. It will also analyze discrepancies between extracted volumes and reported revenues and identify their main causes.

The exercise is expected to provide the ministry with a reliable evidence base to strengthen regulatory oversight and, if necessary, support reforms.

According to the notice seen by Togo First, submissions are open until April 29, 2026. The mission is expected to last three months from the date of contract award.

Esaïe Edoh

Togo’s health ministry on Thursday launched the first forum for private healthcare providers in Lomé, focusing on the country’s universal health coverage program.

Held under the theme “The Role of the Private Sector in Promoting Universal Health Insurance (AMU) in Togo,” the two-day event brings together private healthcare stakeholders to explore how they can support the rollout of universal coverage. It is organized by the Private Health Sector Platform (PSPS-Togo).

The program includes panel discussions, working sessions and technical presentations. Organizers say the forum aims to strengthen recognition of the private sector’s role in the national health system and encourage closer collaboration with the state.

The event also seeks to mobilize private operators to support the implementation of universal health insurance.

“The urgent need to expand healthcare provision means the private sector cannot remain on the sidelines. It is already playing a key role through its diagnostic and treatment facilities, as well as specialized services,” said PSPS President Dr Kounde Innocent Kpeto.

The platform said a stronger private health sector could support both the health system and the broader economy.

“Resources mobilized to finance universal health coverage should improve public health, while also supporting the development of a structured economic sector that contributes to national growth,” organizers said.

Health Minister Jean-Marie Tessi, who chaired the opening ceremony, said the initiative forms part of broader efforts to build a resilient and accessible health system.

“Universal health insurance reflects a strong national ambition and a high-level political commitment to ensure equitable, continuous and quality access to care for all Togolese,” he said.

Togo has been rolling out its universal health insurance scheme since January 2024, with the aim of extending coverage to the entire population.

Esaïe Edoh