Between Food Security imperatives and the will to make agriculture a strategic Economic driver, Togo estimates its needs at approximately $1.6 Billion by 2034 to implement its Agricultural Transformation Program (ProMAT) . A colossal challenge that will require both public funding and significant private capital.
Togolese agriculture accounts for nearly 40% of national GDP and employs about 60% of the active population.
Beyond its food function, particularly through cereals, it also generates export revenues from cotton, coffee, and cocoa.
In this context, the government intends to accelerate the modernization of the sector, develop processing industries, and improve market access.
This strategy is driving Lomé to weave a network of international partnerships with diverse profiles.
Belarus has emerged as a leading operational partner. As early as March, a delegation led by Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov laid the groundwork for enhanced cooperation, focused on agricultural mechanization, irrigation, fertilizers, and seeds.
Leveraging its tractor industry and experience in livestock farming, Minsk proposed the supply of approximately 4,500 agricultural machines.
The meeting on September 1 between President Faure Gnassingbé and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, on the sidelines of the SCO summit, confirmed this momentum and explored new investment opportunities.
On the financing side, Saudi Arabia could play a key role. In June, discussions between Gnassingbé and the Saudi Public Investment Fund targeted agriculture and agro-processing, with a particular focus on the cotton sector.
Togo is also seeking to strengthen ties with Brazil, particularly in livestock and agribusiness a memorandum of understanding was signed in February with the Daniel Franco Institute while China remains a major supplier of agricultural equipment.
These initiatives reflect a clear desire to diversify sources of equipment, expertise, and capital. The challenge now is to move toward actual investments, as several partnerships are still only at the discussion stage.
In parallel, Lomé is activating its own levers: in June 2025, the World Bank granted $300 million for ProMAT, and in June 2026, the Africa Finance Corporation mobilized €108.3 million to strengthen food security and modernize the agricultural sector.
The question now is whether this combination of public financing, state partnerships, and private capital will enable Togo to transform its ambition into concrete and sustainable achievements. A race against time is underway.
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