Togo: Port of Lomé Records Modest Growth in 2024 Amid Regional Competition, Strengthens Position as West Africa’s Trade Hub

The Port of Lomé, Togo’s principal maritime gateway, reported a modest growth in total cargo throughput for 2024, reaching 30.64 million tonnes—up from 30.09 million tonnes in 2023.

Rear-Admiral Fogan Kodjo Adégnon, General Manager of the Autonomous Port of Lomé (PAL), disclosed the figures during a press briefing held within the week.

Transhipment operations led the growth, rising 7.11 per cent to 20.23 million tonnes from 18.89 million tonnes the previous year. However, imports declined by 3.77 per cent to 8.58 million tonnes, and exports saw a significant drop of 19.72 per cent, falling to 1.83 million tonnes from 2.28 million tonnes in 2023.

Container traffic, measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), increased by 5.19 per cent, totalling 2 million TEUs compared to 1.91 million TEUs in 2023. The port accommodated 1,525 vessels in 2024, a 1.97 per cent decrease from 1,554 ships the previous year. Notably, the number of commercial vessels rose slightly from 1,411 to 1,440.

Port authorities attribute these outcomes to digital reforms to enhance operational efficiency. Such reform is implementing the GUFORD platform, launched in October 2024, which centralises and secures document exchanges and declarations for maritime trade, allowing service providers to complete all port-related formalities online, from data entry to invoice payment.

Rear-Admiral Adégnon states,

Despite the challenges and competition in the sub-region, the past year has confirmed our position as a strategic logistics hub, thanks to the commitment of our teams and partners.

In 2025, we remain resolutely focused on innovation, modernisation, and sustainable performance to meet maritime trade demands, he added.

The Port of Lomé has maintained its position among the top 100 container ports globally for the fourth consecutive year, ranking 93rd in 2024, up from 94th in 2023.

Approximately 70 per cent of the country’s economic activities are sea-dependent, with the maritime sector generating over 75 per cent of national tax revenues. The port is also critical for trade in the West African region, serving as a primary transhipment platform for goods destined for landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.

In March 2023, the Togolese government inaugurated the second phase of the Lomé Container Terminal (LCT), a project aimed at increasing the port’s annual cargo handling capacity from 2.2 million to 2.5 million TEUs.

The port’s strategic location on the Lomé-Ouagadougou-Niamey corridor enhances its role in facilitating trade for neighbouring landlocked countries. For instance, the volume of goods transiting through the port to Niger increased from 6 per cent in 2016 to 10 per cent in 2021, highlighting the port’s significance in regional trade dynamics.

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