Togo: When Prime Minister Faure Gnassingbé’s vision bears fruit in the economic sphere
The numbers speak for themselves. According to a recent European Union study, about 312 European companies currently operate in Togo. Among them, 46 are subsidiaries of major corporate groups. This level of foreign presence reflects a carefully built economic vision. President Faure Gnassingbé has worked for years to position Togo as an open, stable, and attractive destination for international investors.
These companies operate across many sectors of the Togolese economy. Transport and logistics. Manufacturing industries. Agribusiness. Energy and water. Construction. Hospitality and restaurants. Import-export. Communications and IT services.
This sectoral diversity signals genuine investor confidence. Companies are not just testing the market. They are establishing long-term operations, convinced by Togo’s strong institutional and economic framework.
The concrete benefits of this dynamic are substantial. These companies generate a combined annual turnover of at least 800 billion CFA francs. They create more than 9,000 direct jobs.
They support nearly 25,000 indirect jobs. In agriculture, at least 90,000 Togolese producers now integrate into agro-industrial value chains. This integration provides easier access to markets and transformative investments.
These achievements reflect deliberate government policy. Years of reforms have improved the business climate. Port and logistics infrastructure modernisation continues.
Legal protections for investments have been strengthened. Macroeconomic stability remains solid. The Port of Lomé, now a regional hub, exemplifies this strategy. It positions Togo as the economic gateway to the sub-region.
In a regional context often marked by instability, Togo stands as an exception. Its ability to attract such a wide range of European companies, across diverse sectors, demonstrates that this vision has created the conditions for sustainable and inclusive economic development.
Beyond the statistics, a full ecosystem takes shape. Jobs. Skills transfers. Local producers integrated into international value chains. Togo demonstrates that coherent economic governance and long-term vision can transform a country into a genuine pole of regional attractiveness.
Kodjovi Makafui
