The President of the Togolese Council, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, actively participated in the Future Investment Initiative (FII) PRIORITY Europe summit, a high-level gathering focused on reindustrialization financing, supply chain resilience, and the evolving nature of work in the age of artificial intelligence.
Addressing global leaders, the Togolese head of government advocated for a fundamental reshaping of Europe-Africa relations. He emphasized the need for a deeper alignment based on shared strategic interests, productive investment, and a more balanced approach to economic interdependence.
Moving beyond outdated cooperation models
During his keynote address, President Gnassingbé highlighted how both continents now face challenges that transcend traditional North-South divides, particularly in a global context marked by geopolitical tensions and fierce economic competition. He argued that conventional aid-based or transactional cooperation frameworks no longer align with current realities.
The Togolese leader stressed that a new paradigm is required—one where Africa and Europe engage as equal partners, leveraging mutual strengths to address contemporary economic, technological, and energy challenges.
Strategic autonomy through balanced interdependence
President Gnassingbé framed strategic autonomy not as isolationism but as a smarter, more structured approach to economic diplomacy. He pointed out that recent global crises have underscored the necessity of interdependence—provided it is fair, predictable, and mutually beneficial.
He pointed to the natural complementarities between Europe and Africa as a foundation for building a new cooperation model—one that fosters economic resilience and shared prosperity rather than dependency.
Europe-Africa: a partnership built on mutual benefit
The Togolese leader drew a clear parallel: Europe seeks reliable partners to secure its supply chains and enhance competitiveness, while Africa needs capital, technology, and infrastructure to accelerate its economic transformation. These objectives, he argued, are not in conflict—they are complementary.
« The future of our partnership lies in aligning these interests so that both continents grow stronger together, » he declared before the assembled global audience.
Togo’s ambition to lead West African logistics and trade
In discussing national strategy, President Gnassingbé reaffirmed Togo’s ambition to become a leading logistical, industrial, and commercial hub in West Africa. This vision hinges on several key pillars:
- Modernization of the Port of Lomé to enhance regional connectivity
- Development of regional corridors to improve trade flows
- Simplification of trade procedures to boost efficiency
- Digitalization of administrative processes to reduce friction and corruption
He emphasized that these investments are not only national projects but regional assets that will strengthen economic resilience across West Africa.
From raw materials to value creation: Africa’s industrial awakening
The President highlighted Africa’s desire to move beyond its historical role as a primary resource provider. He stressed the continent’s ambition to become a center of production, innovation, and value creation—capable of retaining wealth locally and contributing to global supply chains on equal terms.
He also framed a more industrialized and integrated Africa as a strategic opportunity for Europe and international investors, offering new markets, efficiencies, and collaborative platforms.
Togo strengthens its appeal to global investors at major summit
Beyond the broader geopolitical and economic discussions, Togo’s presence at the FII PRIORITY Europe summit served as a platform to showcase the country’s logistics, industrial, and financial advantages to key decision-makers worldwide.
The event brought together top-tier global leaders, including Yasir ben Othman Al-Rumayyan, Chairman of the Board of the Future Investment Initiative Institute, and Richard Attias, Founder and Executive Chairman of the initiative, alongside heads of state, investors, and representatives from international financial institutions.
