The primary sector, the country's economic engine
Employing 65 percent of the labor force, the primary sector contributes about 43 percent of the country's gdP. Agriculture is divided into two parts: cash crops - cotton, coffee and cocoa - and food crops - yams, maize, millet, sorghum, cassava and peanuts. In 1977, the "green revolution" was launched with the objective of achieving food self-sufficiency within five years. Based on extensive, monoproductive and mechanized agriculture, it did not have the expected effects, as Togolese farmers preferred to cultivate with hoes and machetes. The lack of training and support infrastructure also explains the failure of this policy. The liberalization of the sector, imposed in 1996, will also be an illusion, particularly in the area of cash crops. However, having continued to invest in the sector, the country is now almost self-sufficient in food, with about 25 percent of its land under cultivation. To continue its efforts, the government has launched several pilot projects in the country, particularly in the Kara region, in order to be self-sufficient in various agricultural products.
The tertiary sector, another economic lever
The tertiary sector is one of the main pillars of the Togolese economy with a 49.5% share of GDP. It employs two-thirds of the workforce in the modern sector. Within this sector, transport is the main activity. Togo plays an important role in regional trade. As a natural communication route between the ocean and the Sahel countries, the deepwater port of Lomé plays an important transit role in the subregion. It is also the sector in which Togo is most dependent on the outside world. Maritime transport is entirely dependent on foreign companies, as is air transport. Most land transport activities are linked to transit trade between Togo and the Sahelian countries. However, Togo faces competition from other regional ports, such as Cotonou, Accra, and Dakar, which have significant advantages and bilateral agreements with each of these three Sahelian countries. This is the sector that has the highest growth rate in the country's economy.
A tourist potential to exploit
With nearly 950,000 visitors recorded in Togo in 2019 compared to 514,000 in 2017, tourism now plays a growing role in the local economy, accounting for about 8% of GDP. The first framework structures put in place for tourism development date back to the 1960s with the creation of the Société togolaise d'hôtellerie and then the Office national togolais du tourisme (ONTT). However, the government's option for the development of tourism became concrete in the 1970s with the effective integration of the sector into the various economic, social and cultural development plans. In terms of tourism infrastructure, significant financial efforts have been made by the State and the private sector. There are now hotels of good standing throughout the country and roads that are increasingly passable. In 2019, the government launched the National Development Plan (PND) with the objective of continuing the development of this sector and creating at least 10,000 jobs in the coming years. To achieve this, it wants to promote the destination internationally, while investing in several tourism sectors, including ecotourism. Lomé is also banking on business tourism by positioning the country as a major center in the West African sub-region.
A variety of natural resources
Togo has various mineral resources such as zinc, iron, attapulgite, gold, manganese, but above all a large phosphate deposit, whose production amounted to more than 1.3 million tons in 2020. The country has been among the world's top 15 producers for several years. It also produces limestone at the Tabligbo deposit, north of Vogan, operated by Wacem and Scantogo Mines. Annual production amounts to more than 100,000 t. Half of this production is sufficient for national consumption, while the other half is intended for export. Other resources, if properly exploited, could propel the economy. For example, iron reserves are estimated at 500 million tons in the Bassar region. Similarly, there are estimated reserves of 50,000 tons of chromite in the Kabyè massif and more than 8.5 million tons of manganese in the Nayega mine in western Togo. This mine has been operated since 2020 by the Keras Group, which is present in Togo through its subsidiary Société Générale des Mines (SGM). It could generate up to 16 million dollars of public revenue per year.
Current issues
During the socio-political conflict that affected Togo in the early 1990s, several countries and organizations suspended their economic cooperation with the country. The major challenge for Togo was therefore to resume good international relations in order to strengthen itself and make the structural investments necessary for the economy to take off. In 2007, the European Union resumed diplomatic relations with Togo, followed by other countries and organizations. Since then, international relations have calmed down and Togo benefits from the support of many partners. Reducing poverty and reviving the economy are the current economic challenges in Togo, through the creation of jobs for young people and women, by promoting the development of the private sector in the areas of tourism, agriculture, livestock and crafts. The other challenge is to further modernize the country's infrastructure such as roads, the airport and the port. Air transport and port activities are also high value-added sectors for Togo. Thanks to the expansion of these infrastructures, the port of Lomé is now considered the fourth largest container port in Africa
