On April 24, 2025, the Autonomous Port of Lomé reached a historic milestone with the arrival of the MSC Diletta, the largest container ship ever to dock on the West African coast. Measuring 400 meters in length and 61 meters in width, this giant of the seas symbolizes Togo’s growing prominence as a regional logistics hub and highlights the relevance of the strategic vision championed by President Faure Gnassingbé.
The arrival of the MSC Diletta is not an isolated event, but the culmination of over a decade of structural reforms, targeted investments, and visionary governance in the port sector. Driven by President Faure Gnassingbé’s leadership, the Port of Lomé has evolved from a national facility into a logistical pivot for the entire West African sub-region, connected to strategic corridors leading to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
The Togolese leader has successfully leveraged the country’s geographical location and its deep, uncongested coastline to build a modern, efficient, and attractive infrastructure. Partnerships with global players such as MSC (via TIL) and China Merchants have transformed the Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) into a site capable of handling more than 30 container moves per hour, rivaling the standards of European and Asian ports.
With nearly 1.7 million TEUs handled in 2024—many of them in transshipment—the Togolese port has proven its logistical efficiency and capacity for continuous growth. The government is also supporting the digitalization of customs procedures and improving operational fluidity to strengthen the port’s competitiveness against regional rivals such as Tema and Abidjan.
Thus, the docking of the MSC Diletta is much more than a technical achievement. It marks Togo’s emergence as a maritime platform of reference, driven by the vision of a president who has made the port sector a key lever for economic development.
The promise is clear: to establish Togo as the gateway to Africa by focusing on reliability, innovation, and openness to international markets.
