Lomé, Togo, 9 October 2025 (ECA) - 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 the review of the agreement and protocols is being held from 6 to 8 October 2025 in Lomé, followed by consultations on revising Togo’s AfCFTA implementation strategy from 9 to 10 October 2025. .
Organized 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 linewith Article 28 of the agreement. The workshop also aim to gather national priorities through inclusive consultations to revise Togo’s2019–2024 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, emphasized 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 favorably to benefit from projected increases in intra-African trade, including a projected 41.1% rise in agri-food products, 39.2% in services, 39% in industrial goods, and 16.1% in energy and mining sectors.
However, he underscored that “challenges remain,” including infrastructure deficits, persistent non-tariff barriers, limited industrial capacity, and delays in harmonizing regulatory and institutional frameworks. These constraints, he stressed, require “ambitious and targeted responses” if Togo is to fully leverage AfCFTA’s economic opportunities.
The final assessment of Togo’s2019–2024 National AfCFTA Strategy showed significant progress in trade facilitation and regional integration. The current review seeks to update national priorities to address emerging global, regional, and national economic challenges, in line with the vision of an integrated, prosperous, and inclusive Africa.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: eca-info@un.org