By Deborah Olaoluwa
The Government of Togo has launched a national process to revise the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Framework Agreement, its protocols and the country’s national implementation strategy.
A national workshop on reviewing the agreement and protocols is scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 October 2025 in Lomé, followed by consultations on revising Togo’s AfCFTA implementation strategy from 9 to 10 October 2025.
Organised by the Ministry of Trade, Handicrafts and Local Consumption, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the meetings bring together members of the National AfCFTA Committee, representatives of the public and private sectors, civil society, academia, and research institutions.
The objectives are to examine the AfCFTA Framework Agreement and its protocols to ensure they reflect current global, regional, and national economic developments, in line with Article 28 of the agreement.
The workshop also aims to gather national priorities through inclusive consultations to revise Togo’s 2019–2024 National AfCFTA Strategy, which has now expired, and align it with evolving economic realities and development ambitions.
In his opening remarks, Mr Mensah Koffi Vinyo, Chief of Staff at the Ministry of Trade, emphasised that the AfCFTA is not “just a trade agreement,” but “one of the continent’s most ambitious projects,” designed to create a single market of 1.4 billion consumers with a combined GDP estimated at over $3 trillion.
He highlighted that this initiative represents “a historic opportunity for Togo,” as it “will enhance business competitiveness, attract new investments, and promote job creation, especially for youth and women.”
Speaking on behalf of the UN Resident Coordinator in Togo, Mr Serge Yapo, Head of the UN Office, commended progress made during the first five years of AfCFTA implementation, marked continentally by the establishment of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, the Non-Tariff Barriers Observatory, and the Rules of Origin framework.
He noted that Togo’s reforms position it favourably to benefit from projected increases in intra-African trade, including a 41.1% rise in agri-food products, a 39.2% increase in services, a 39% rise in industrial goods, and a 16.1%increase in the energy and mining sectors.
However, he underscored that “challenges remain,” including infrastructure deficits, persistent non-tariff barriers, limited industrial capacity, and delays in harmonising regulatory and institutional frameworks.
These constraints, he emphasised, necessitate “ambitious and targeted responses” if Togo is to fully capitalise on the AfCFTA’s economic opportunities.
The final assessment of Togo’s 2019–2024 National AfCFTA Strategy showed significant progress in trade facilitation and regional integration. The current review aims to update national priorities in response to emerging global, regional, and national economic challenges, aligning with the vision of an integrated, prosperous, and inclusive Africa.
