The World Bank has thrown its weight behind Togo’s development drive, signing five new projects worth a combined $429 million during a visit by Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde. The agreements, inked on July 16, 2026, target critical sectors: transport connectivity, electrification, natural gas, support for disadvantaged northern regions, and digital identity. The investment comes as Togo grapples with a jobs gap—creating only 100,000 of the 150,000 annual positions needed, according to Bjerde.
Bjerde stressed that job creation hinges on private sector involvement, which she called ‘the only way’ to generate sustainable employment. The World Bank’s support aims to remove infrastructure bottlenecks, including modernizing the railway from the Port of Lomé to inland markets, expanding electricity access, and boosting natural gas as an energy source.
‘The challenge and opportunity is job creation, especially for youth,’ Bjerde told Togo First. She noted that while Togo has strengths in logistics and geography, it needs to accelerate job growth through private investment and infrastructure. The new projects also include completing the digital identity rollout and delivering more digital services to citizens.
The visit also included a stop at the West African Coastal Management Program (WACA), which Bjerde praised for curbing erosion and boosting local fisheries and tourism. She highlighted that the project has created local jobs and restored beaches, attracting hotel construction.
Article and image source: togofirst.com
