Togolese and Turkish entrepreneurs convened in Lomé on Tuesday, May 27, for a Turkey-Togo Business Forum aimed at strengthening bilateral economic cooperation. The meeting, organized by the World Cooperation Industries Forum (WCI Forum), focused on enhancing economic exchanges between the two countries.
Participants from sectors including agri-food, household appliances, construction, agriculture, textiles, industrial materials, and cosmetics discussed investment opportunities in Togo and explored potential partnerships in a context of economic diversification.
Organizers envision the forum as more than just a platform for trade exchanges, aiming to create a strategic hub connecting economic and political decision-makers to stimulate foreign direct investment (FDI) and strengthen economic ties between Lomé and Ankara.
“Our dynamic private sector, supported by a strategic vision, is ready to forge strong partnerships. Togo is a strategic hub, with a competitive free zone and a continuously improving business climate,” said José Symenouh, President of the Togolese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI-Togo), at the forum’s opening.
The CCI-Togo highlighted Togo’s key assets to its Turkish counterparts, including the Autonomous Port of Lomé, the only deep-water port in the sub-region capable of accommodating large-capacity vessels, and the country’s robust financial ecosystem, supported by the presence of major regional institutions such as BOAD (West African Development Bank), BIDC (ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development), and the pan-African banking group Ecobank.
This forum in Lomé follows an initial economic meeting held in Aného in November 2024, which facilitated initial contacts between operators from both countries. These initiatives reflect a commitment to sustainably structuring trade between Togo and Turkey.
In 2023, the volume of trade between the two countries reached nearly $300 million, according to the Turkish ambassador to Togo, Muteber Kılıç.
About The Author
