• Togo forecasts 6.5% growth in 2026, inflation at 1.8%
• Risks include higher costs, logistics disruptions, tighter financial liquidity
• Council prioritizes renewable financing, agri-food funding to boost resilience

Togo’s National Credit Council (CNC) held its first regular meeting of 2026 on Monday in Lomé, bringing together key economic stakeholders to review the macroeconomic outlook and set priorities for the year.

The meeting forecasted economic growth of 6.5% in 2026, up from 6.2% in 2025, with inflation expected at 1.8%, compared with 0.4% a year earlier. The outlook comes amid renewed geopolitical tensions that could weigh on the economy.

Finance and Budget Minister Essowè Georges Barcola, who chairs the CNC, said rising hydrocarbon and agricultural input costs, disruptions to maritime and air logistics, and tightening liquidity on financial markets could pose risks.

“We anticipated these shocks rather than simply absorbing them. Faced with this uncertainty, the government remains committed to structural reforms to strengthen economic resilience,” Barcola said.

To support its growth target, the council identified several priorities, including expanding innovative financing tools for renewable energy projects and increasing funding for food and agriculture companies to boost domestic production and cut reliance on costly imports.

The CNC also highlighted the need to strengthen the financial system’s capacity to support growth. Financing for the agri-food sector will be a key focus, with the sector seen as central to boosting local production and improving food security.

Esaïe Edoh, with TogoFirst