🇹🇬 Togo

Togo is a narrow West African country of 8.8 million with a GDP of about $9 billion. The country is just 56 km wide at its narrowest point but stretches 579 km from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel. Lomé, the capital, hosts one of West Africa's busiest ports and the headquarters of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development. The Gnassingbé family has ruled since 1967 — one of the longest-ruling dynasties in Africa. Togo is the world's fourth-largest phosphate producer. The country has been investing in becoming a regional logistics and financial hub.

Phosphates, cotton, coffee, cocoa, and re-export trade are the main economic activities. The Port of Lomé is the only deep-water port in West Africa that can handle large container ships, giving Togo a strategic advantage. Ghana, Benin, and India are the main trade partners. GDP growth has been around 5-6%. The government has invested in a new airport and free trade zone. The CFA franc provides monetary stability.

Togo's Koutammakou landscape, home to the Batammariba people and their remarkable tower-houses (takienta), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The country's voodoo market in Lomé (Akodessewa) is the largest fetish market in the world — it sells everything from monkey heads to dried chameleons for traditional medicine. Togo was Germany's first colony in Africa (1884-1914).

Togo's port advantage and logistics ambitions are smart plays, but the political dynasty and limited democratic space constrain the country's potential. The phosphate reserves provide a steady revenue base.