Leaders of companies belonging to the National Association of Building and Public Works Contractors of Togo (GNEBTP-Togo) met on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Lome. The meeting aimed to identify solutions to revive a sector facing increasingly intense competition from foreign firms.
The meeting, themed “Unite to Succeed: Grouping and Subcontracting, Levers for Growth in the Construction Sector,” was attended by technical and financial partners, including the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and Germany’s KfW. Discussions focused on the sector’s main structural challenges.
One of the key obstacles identified was the revenue requirement imposed during bids for public contracts. Companies must demonstrate annual turnover equivalent to at least 25% of the value of the contract being sought. According to Togolese construction entrepreneurs, this requirement represents a major barrier to their participation in large-scale tender processes.
Another difficulty raised was the absence, within selection criteria, of any obligation to reserve a share of contracts for national companies or local consortia. This situation generally gives multinationals a clear advantage, allowing them to bid without specific constraints, to the disadvantage of domestic firms.
The sector also suffers from limited cooperation among Togolese construction companies, which often operate in isolation. This restricts their technical and financial capacity and causes them to miss numerous opportunities. “Individualism is holding back our competitiveness against foreign giants. Working together makes it possible to pool risks and share expertise,” said Yawo Tsogbe, president of GNEBTP-Togo.
In response to these challenges, Togolese construction companies now plan to organise themselves into groups to strengthen their competitiveness against foreign firms, which win the majority of public tenders. For Sani Yaya, the minister delegate in charge of public works, this momentum will help “modernise and structure the construction sector in Togo.”
Through this initiative, construction industry stakeholders aim to play a more decisive role in national infrastructure policy and, by extension, in the development of the Togolese economy. Against this backdrop, the GNEBTP signed a partnership agreement last September with Morocco’s National Federation of Construction (FNBTP). The partnership provides in particular for closer exchanges through the organisation of forums, economic missions, technical visits and professional meetings, with the aim of fostering cooperation and creating new business opportunities for Togolese and Moroccan companies.
Esaïe Edoh