AGP Executive Report

Clean Cooking Finance: Togo signed a deal in Lomé to scale improved cookstoves, aiming to deploy clean cooking tech nationwide by 2032 (with support potentially running to 2037). The financing targets over CFAF 4.7 billion (about $8.5m) from U.S. investment banks via Valor Carbon Ltd, Valitera Pte Ltd and Arborify SA, building on a pilot that has already reached about 107,000 households. Social Dialogue & Work: Togo’s CNDS reconvened to tackle new socioeconomic pressures, focusing on improving how labor unions and employers prevent and resolve disputes as tech, climate and shifting demographics reshape work. Ocean Governance: Togo’s National Assembly approved ratification of the UN BBNJ High Seas biodiversity agreement, positioning the country to speak at the January 2027 Conference of the Parties. STEM in Schools: Togo prepares to train and deploy 101 FabLab managers to run digital fabrication labs in schools, turning classroom science into hands-on prototypes. Cyber Resilience: A new board chair was appointed for Kenya’s National Cybersecurity Agency, with a World Bank-linked Togo project cited as part of regional cyber capacity building. Health at Work: A West Africa survey including Togo found 62% of workers get no workplace malaria prevention support, highlighting a gap between awareness and employer action.

FabLabs for Schools: Togo is training 101 FabLab managers to run digital fabrication labs in schools, linking classroom math and science to hands-on prototyping and real problem-solving. Marine Biodiversity Push: Togo is moving toward ratifying and preparing for the BBNJ Agreement, with workshops in Lomé to shape the country’s position ahead of the January 2027 UN conference. Climate Finance Tools: Togo also launched three climate-focused tools: a digital platform for climate data and investment opportunities, a private-sector green/climate booklet, and a communications plan to boost business participation in climate action. Social Dialogue for Jobs: Togo’s CNDS reconvened in Lomé to tackle new socioeconomic pressures on labor markets, aiming to strengthen social dialogue to prevent and resolve workplace disputes. Workplace Malaria Gap: A West Africa survey including Togo found 62% of workers get no malaria prevention support from employers, highlighting a major health-and-productivity gap. Cyber Resilience (Regional): Kenya appointed a new non-executive chair for its cybersecurity agency, with experience including a World Bank-linked cyber resilience project in Togo. Energy & Trade Context: Ghana signaled plans to export electricity to Nigeria, building on existing cross-border power links that already include Togo.

CNDS Social Dialogue: Togo’s National Social Dialogue Council (CNDS) reconvened in Lomé to tackle new socioeconomic pressures, aiming to strengthen how it prevents and resolves labor disputes amid tech change, climate stress, and shifting demographics. Marine Biodiversity Policy: Togo’s National Assembly approved ratification of the UN BBNJ high-seas biodiversity deal, positioning the country for the January 2027 Conference of the Parties. Climate Finance Tools: Togo launched three NAP Readiness tools to boost private climate investment: a climate data-and-finance digital platform, a green & climate business guide, and a communications plan. STEM in Schools: Togo is training 101 FabLab managers to run digital fabrication labs in schools, turning classroom science into hands-on prototypes. Maritime Skills Update: An IMO workshop in the region highlighted the need to modernize seafarer assessment and certification as shipping adopts automation and new fuels. Workplace Malaria Gap: A West Africa survey including Togo found 62% of workers get no malaria prevention support from employers. Digital Twin for Ports: Singapore’s maritime digital twin approach is spotlighted as a way to simulate port decisions before spending.

FabLabs for Schools: Togo is training 101 FabLab managers to run digital fabrication labs in schools, linking math and science lessons to hands-on prototyping and innovation. Climate Finance Tools: Togo launched three new instruments to pull more private money into climate action, including a digital climate info-and-investment platform, a green/climate business guide, and a communications plan. Workplace Malaria Gap: A West Africa survey including Togo found 62% of workers get no workplace malaria prevention support, urging employers to treat prevention as core risk management. Marine Biodiversity Policy: Lomé hosted workshops to shape Togo’s position on the BBNJ ocean treaty ahead of the January 2027 UN conference. Cybersecurity Leadership: Kenya named a new board chair for its National Cybersecurity Agency, with projects including cyber resilience support in Togo. Maritime Skills Update: An IMO workshop stressed that seafarer assessment and certification must evolve with automation, digital tools, and new fuels. Online Wildlife Trade: A major review says social media is accelerating illegal wildlife sales, calling for community-focused regulation beyond takedowns. Togo Film Crew Case: Authorities detailed why three detained film crew members faced prosecution for false declarations, including drone and area-coverage issues.

FabLabs for Schools: Togo is training 101 FabLab managers to run digital fabrication labs in schools, linking math and science to hands-on prototyping through CRITs and science-focused schools. Workplace Health Gap: A CAMA survey across 10 West African countries found 62% of workers get no employer support for malaria prevention, including in Togo—raising risks for absenteeism and productivity. Wildlife Trafficking Online: A Nature Reviews Biodiversity review says social media is powering illegal wildlife sales, with researchers finding 1,600 primates advertised for sale across major platforms in weeks of monitoring. Cybersecurity Leadership: Kenya appoints a new non-executive chair for its National Cybersecurity Agency, with World Bank-linked cyber resilience work in Togo mentioned. Maritime Skills Update: IMO says seafarer assessment and certification must evolve as automation, digital tools, autonomous shipping and alternative fuels change required skills. Climate Finance Tools (Togo): Lomé launched three tools to boost private-sector climate investment, including a climate info-and-finance platform and a green finance guide. Ghana–Nigeria Power Push: Ghana plans to supply electricity to Nigeria, aiming to strengthen its role as a West African energy hub. Togo–AES Alignment: Reports of “joining” AES are premature, but Togo is deepening practical alignment through transport and security cooperation.

Togo–AES Drift: Reports of Togo and Chad “joining” the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are premature, but Lomé is clearly moving closer through practical security and transport cooperation, including a 2026–2028 “Togo–Sahel Strategy” and deeper use of the Port of Lomé for Sahel corridors. Maritime Skills for New Tech: The IMO says seafarer assessment and certification must update for automation, digital tools, autonomous shipping and alternative fuels, with training for West and Central African maritime administrations including Togo. Climate Finance Tools in Lomé: Togo launched three initiatives to pull private capital into climate action: a climate info/investment platform, a green & climate business guide, and a communications plan under the NAP Readiness project. BBNJ Agreement Workshops: Lomé hosted workshops to shape Togo’s position ahead of the first BBNJ treaty conference in Jan 2027, covering marine tech transfer and environmental impact assessments. Wildlife Trade Online: A Nature Reviews Biodiversity review warns that social platforms are powering hard-to-track wildlife trafficking, calling for whole-of-society solutions beyond takedowns. Maritime Security Watch: Somali piracy is resurging, with hijackings and targeted attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia raising fresh risks for shipping.

Wildlife & Tech: A landmark Nature Reviews Biodiversity study says Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are helping drive a hard-to-track illegal wildlife trade, with researchers finding 1,600 primates and large black-market listings for birds, reptiles and plants—so the fix can’t be only account bans; it needs community-focused enforcement. Climate Finance Tools (Togo): Togo launched three new instruments in Lomé to pull more private money into climate action: a digital climate info-and-investment platform, a Private Sector Green & Climate booklet, and a communications plan—built under the NAP Readiness project with GCF support. Marine Biodiversity (Togo): Workshops in Lomé are shaping Togo’s position for the BBNJ Agreement’s first COP in Jan 2027, covering marine genetic resources, benefit-sharing, impact assessments and marine technology transfer. Cement Prices Shock (Region): Nigeria’s cement costs are spiking again, with developers warning housing delivery is getting harder; FCCPC probes possible price manipulation and disparities across Africa. Cybersecurity (Nigeria-UK): Nigeria and the UK are deepening a long-term cybersecurity partnership to tackle AI-driven threats, financial cybercrime and attacks on critical infrastructure. Maritime Security: Somali piracy is back in focus after multiple hijackings and attacks in 2026, including a tanker seized off Yemen and diverted toward Somalia. DRC Peace Talks: DRC and M23 agreed a roadmap for Doha-framework peace talks in Switzerland, with a ceasefire verification mission planned in South Kivu. Togo Media Case: Togo says three film crew members detained over a documentary shoot are being prosecuted for false declarations, including filming outside authorized areas and undeclared drone specs.

Togo Justice & Media: Togo’s authorities say three film crew members detained in Kara—two French nationals and their Togolese fixer—are being prosecuted for “false declarations,” citing filming outside approved areas and use of an undeclared drone, with the case now in judicial proceedings. Climate Finance Tools: Togo launched three initiatives in Lomé to pull more private money into climate action: a digital climate info-and-investment platform, a Green & Climate booklet for businesses, and a communications plan under the NAP Readiness project. Marine Biodiversity Policy: Lomé hosts workshops (Aug 20–27) to shape Togo’s position ahead of the first BBNJ Agreement COP in Jan 2027, covering marine genetic resources, benefit-sharing, impact assessments, and marine technology transfer. AI & Cybersecurity (Region): Ghana and Nigeria push deeper cooperation on cybersecurity and AI-driven threats, while Nigeria’s energy push includes turning cassava wastewater into biogas. Tech in the News (Global): xAI’s Grok Imagine Image 2.0 adds Photoshop-like selectable elements for more controlled AI image edits.

Regional Energy: Ghana says it wants to start supplying electricity to Nigeria, building on existing cross-border links with Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, as it targets a West African power-hub role. Cybersecurity & AI: Nigeria and the UK are deepening a long-term cyber partnership focused on AI-driven threats, digital forensics, resilience, and building local capacity to fight financial cybercrime and attacks on critical infrastructure. Togo Climate Finance: Togo launched three tools in Lomé to boost private-sector climate investment, including a digital climate information and funding platform plus a green/climate guide for businesses. Marine Biodiversity (Togo): Workshops in Lomé are shaping Togo’s position ahead of the first BBNJ Agreement COP in January 2027, covering marine tech transfer, impact assessments, and capacity-building. AI for Health (Ghana/West Africa): A China-West Africa medical expo opened in Ghana, pushing AI in healthcare delivery and technology transfer across the region. Maritime Security: Somali pirates hijacked a suspected Iranian-linked tanker in the Gulf of Aden, signaling a sharp rise in piracy incidents. Tech & Business (West Africa): Veefin and NSIA Group partner to digitize supply chain finance across five markets including Togo.

Togo Climate Finance Push: Lomé hosted the launch of three government tools to pull more private money into climate action: a climate info-and-investment platform, a Green & Climate booklet for businesses, and a communications plan—built under the NAP Readiness project with GCF and FAO support. Marine Biodiversity Planning: Workshops in Lomé (Aug 20–27) are shaping Togo’s position ahead of the first BBNJ Agreement COP in Jan 2027, covering marine tech transfer, impact assessments, and benefit-sharing. Digital Trade & Finance: Veefin Solutions and NSIA Group are partnering to expand supply chain finance across five West African markets (including Togo) via digital factoring and reverse factoring for SMEs. Cybersecurity & Capacity: Nigeria and the UK are deepening a cybersecurity partnership aimed at AI-driven threats, financial cybercrime, and resilience—moving from training to long-term institution building. AI for Creative Work: Grok’s Imagine Image 2.0 adds selectable, Photoshop-like segmentation for more targeted AI image edits. Regional Health Tech: Ghana’s expo highlights AI diagnosis and medical tech cooperation with China, with a push for technology transfer and local capacity. Togo Agriculture Metrics: Togo published first-phase SCORECARD results under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program, reviewing weak indicators and next steps. Legal/Media Pressure in Togo: Two French filmmakers and a Togolese fixer were placed in pre-trial detention over a documentary shoot in northern Togo.

Climate Finance & Private Sector: Togo launched three NAP Readiness tools in Lomé to pull more private money into climate action: a digital one-stop platform for climate data and funding, a Green & Climate Booklet for business guidance, and a communications plan to spotlight best practices. Marine Biodiversity Policy: Lomé hosts workshops (Aug 20–27) to shape Togo’s position for the first BBNJ Agreement COP in Jan 2027, covering marine genetic resources, impact assessments, capacity-building and marine technology transfer. Digital Trade & Customs (Ghana): Fidelity Bank Ghana urged harmonised customs systems and better data quality, saying AI in trade needs clean data and that fragmented procedures raise costs for traders, including women importing from Togo and Nigeria. AI Creative Tools: xAI’s Grok Imagine Image 2.0 adds selectable, Photoshop-like segmentation for more targeted AI image edits, plus tools like a Magic Wand and background removal. Shipping Security: Somali pirates hijacked the suspected Iranian shadow-fleet tanker SIBU 1 in the Gulf of Aden, with regional experts warning piracy is rising again. Cyber Rights (Benin): Benin released cyberactivist Steve Amoussou after a two-year sentence tied to politically critical social media content. Togo Governance (World Bank): Togo moved up in World Bank income classification after a population revision, shifting it to lower-middle income from 1 July 2026.

Climate Finance & Private Sector: Togo launched three tools in Lomé to boost private-sector participation in climate investment: a digital one-stop climate info platform, a Green & Climate booklet for financing guidance, and a communications plan to spotlight best practices—part of the NAP Readiness push supported by the Green Climate Fund and FAO. Marine Biodiversity (BBNJ): Lomé hosted workshops (Aug 20–27) to help shape Togo’s position ahead of the first BBNJ Agreement COP in Jan 2027, covering marine genetic resources, benefit-sharing, impact assessments, capacity-building and marine technology transfer. Agriculture Monitoring (FSRP): Togo published first-phase SCORECARD results under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program, reviewing indicators with agencies and partners and noting progress toward targets for farmers, including women. Digital Finance for SMEs: Veefin Solutions and NSIA Group partnered to expand supply chain finance across Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Benin, Togo and Guinea, enabling reverse factoring and factoring via a digital platform. Regional Security & Tech Angle: Russia and Ghana discussed measures to normalize ties between ECOWAS and the AES, while piracy in the Gulf of Aden/Somali waters surged again—raising new risks for maritime trade and logistics. Pre-trial Detention (Media/Tech): Togo placed two French filmmakers and a local fixer in pre-trial detention over a documentary shoot, keeping attention on press freedom and field reporting logistics.

BBNJ Agreement Prep: Lomé hosts Aug. 20–27 workshops bringing together agencies, coastal authorities, civil society and media to shape Togo’s position ahead of the first BBNJ Agreement COP in Jan. 2027, as Togo advances ratification for marine biodiversity beyond national waters. Climate Finance Tools: Togo unveiled three NAP Readiness tools to boost private-sector climate investment: a climate data-and-finance digital platform, a Green & Climate business booklet, and a communications plan—aimed at greener jobs and resilience. Digital Trade & Finance: Veefin Solutions and NSIA Group partner to expand supply chain finance across Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Benin, Togo and Guinea, using digital reverse factoring and factoring to unlock working capital for SMEs. Agriculture Monitoring: Togo published first-phase SCORECARD results under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program, reviewing indicators and progress with partners in Tsévié. Private Sector Climate Action: Togo’s new climate tools connect businesses to financing and low-carbon models, supported by the Green Climate Fund and FAO. Maritime Security Watch: Reports highlight tanker hijackings and attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, underscoring ongoing risks for regional shipping.

China-West Africa Health Tech: Ghana urged deeper China-West Africa cooperation beyond importing medical goods—pushing local manufacturing, technology transfer, research, training and stronger health security across ECOWAS. Togo Governance & Research: Togo moved up the World Bank income bracket after a population revision tied to the 2022 census, with GNI per capita rising even without a major growth jump. Togo Agriculture Monitoring: Togo reviewed first SCORECARD results under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program, focusing on weak indicators and next steps for better agricultural trade and market data. Togo Media Case: Two French filmmakers and their Togolese fixer remain in pre-trial detention over a documentary shoot in Kara, with authorities citing “false declarations.” Digital Finance for SMEs: Veefin and NSIA Group partnered to expand supply chain finance across Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo and Guinea using digital factoring tools. AI in Trade Systems: Fidelity Bank Ghana called for harmonised customs systems and better data quality, arguing AI tools depend on reliable trade information. Maritime Security: Tanker hijackings and drone strikes kept shipping risks in focus, including an incident in the Gulf of Aden and attacks around the Strait of Hormuz.

Togo in World Bank spotlight: Togo has been moved up into the World Bank’s higher income bracket (low income to lower-middle income), with the jump mainly linked to a revised population estimate after the 2022 census, alongside GDP growth. Agriculture data for better markets: Togo published results from the first phase of the SCORECARD under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program, reviewing trade and farm-market indicators with government, private sector and civil society, and noting where performance is still weak. Digital finance for SMEs: Veefin Solutions and NSIA Group are partnering to expand supply chain finance across five West African markets including Togo, using digital reverse factoring and factoring to speed up working capital for suppliers. Trade tech at ports: Fidelity Bank is pushing for harmonised customs systems and better data to unlock trade—highlighting how AI depends on data quality and calling out fragmented procedures that raise costs for traders importing via Togo and the region. Health tech access (regional): Mercy Ships returned to Ghana with its large civilian hospital ship, offering free surgical care—an example of how mobile, service-based health tech can reach underserved communities. Security and media case: Togolese authorities placed two French filmmakers and their local fixer in pre-trial detention over a documentary shoot in Kara, after equipment and passports were seized.

World Bank Income Reclassification: Togo has been moved from low income to lower-middle income in the World Bank’s 2026–2027 country income update, effective 1 July 2026—an unusual jump driven mainly by a revised population estimate after the 2022 census (GNI per capita rises when the population denominator falls), alongside GDP growth and exchange-rate effects. ECOWAS–Sahel Diplomacy: Russia says it will sign a security-focused memorandum of cooperation with ECOWAS and support efforts to “bridge” relations with the AES bloc (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger), as Ghana and Russia discuss normalisation steps. Agriculture Trade Monitoring: Togo published first-phase SCORECARD results under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program, reviewing indicators with government, private sector and civil society in Tsévié and aligning next steps for weaker areas. Digital Finance for SMEs: Veefin Solutions and NSIA Group partner to expand supply chain finance across Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea, using digital reverse factoring and factoring to unlock working capital for suppliers and SMEs. Cement Price Scrutiny (Regional): Nigeria’s competition watchdog probes possible cement price manipulation after comparisons with other African markets, including Togo, raised questions about why prices are higher despite local capacity. Swiss Diplomatic Appointment: Switzerland appoints Dr Thomas Oertle as ambassador-designate to Ghana, Benin and Togo, with a background spanning development cooperation and science studies. Maritime Security (Regional): Reports of attacks and seizures in key shipping corridors continue, including a hijacking off Somalia and renewed risks around the Strait of Hormuz.