Meeting in Lomé on Friday, April 3, 2026, Burkinabe and Togolese ministers took a further step in regional economic integration. This high-level working session, led by Minister of State Emile Zerbo (Burkina Faso) and his Togolese counterparts Comla Kadje and Calixte Batossie Madjoulba , had a clear objective: to remove the barriers hindering the transit of goods along this vital corridor.

1. The diagnosis: Persistent obstacles

Despite the strategic importance of the corridor, several obstacles still hinder trade. The two delegations presented a frank assessment of the situation:

1. On the Burkina Faso side: Emphasis was placed on the prohibitive costs of demurrage, the slowness of customs and port procedures, as well as the need to modernize facilitation infrastructure.
2. On the Togolese side: Concerns are focused on freight management (respect for quotas), administrative burdens at the Cinkassé border post and the excessive number of road checks.

2. A roadmap for action

Far from mere declarations of intent, the two countries have agreed on a series of concrete measures to transform the corridor:

1. Ongoing coordination: Creation of a regular consultation framework to resolve disputes in real time.
2. Digital modernization: Accelerating the interconnection of customs systems to reduce waiting times at borders.
3. Eliminating red tape: Clarifying required documents to put an end to abusive checks and abnormal practices on the road.
4. Freight transparency: Reducing the number of intermediaries and improving visibility in goods management.

3. Rigorous monitoring

Aware that the success of this alliance depends on the execution of decisions, the ministers stressed the effectiveness of the monitoring mechanisms.

"Now is the time for shared responsibility and accelerating the implementation of reforms."

Next step: A new meeting is already scheduled in three months to assess the initial results of these commitments and ensure the sustainable competitiveness of the Lomé-Ouagadougou axis.