Togo’s maritime challenges: Why security remains a major issue

Togo has significantly reduced piracy since 2012 through increased naval patrols and international cooperation, recording no acts of piracy in 2015. However, the country faces ongoing challenges, including a struggling fisheries sector plagued by overfishing and poor resources, and an international ship registry that provides few local jobs and is linked to illicit fishing. While the Autonomous Port of Lomé maintains ISPS Code compliance and serves as a key transit hub for landlocked countries like Burkina Faso, it suffers from space constraints and poor internal road infrastructure. To sustain security, Togo established the National Organisation for State Action at Sea (NOSAS) in 2014, though hierarchical ambiguities persist between the maritime prefect and the advisor for the sea.

• Togo experienced a significant decline in piracy after being the second-most affected West and Central African country in 2012, with 15 attacks. By 2015, the country recorded no acts of piracy, despite 31 attacks occurring across the wider Gulf of Guinea.
• The Togolese fisheries sector is in crisis, producing only 20,000 to 25,000 tonnes annually against a national requirement of 70,000 tonnes. This deficit is attributed to overfishing, the use of prohibited seine nets and tight mesh monofilament nets, and a narrow continental shelf that lacks the 'upwelling' phenomenon found in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
• Togo's international flag of free registry, managed by the Greek company International Registry Bureau in Athens, has been criticised by the EU and IMO for encouraging illicit, unreported and unregulated fishing. The registry provides no employment for Togolese seamen, and the state has limited control over the 647 vessels flying its flag as of 2015.
• The Autonomous Port of Lomé is a critical transit hub for landlocked nations, particularly Burkina Faso, which accounted for over 40% of transit traffic in 2014. While the port adheres to the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, it is hindered by a lack of space causing traffic jams and unpaved internal areas that create health hazards.
• Togo established the National Organisation for State Action at Sea (NOSAS) in 2014 to coordinate maritime interests. However, there is a lack of clarity in the hierarchy between the maritime prefect and the minister-advisor, with the latter appearing to exercise the role of the state's representative at sea despite the official decree.
• Small-scale fishermen in Togo face economic hardship and legal risks because oil tankers and other vessels (60 to 100 daily) anchor in the outer waters of the port of Lomé. This attracts fish and fishermen, who are frequently mistaken for pirates by ship captains, leading to arrests and fines of 25,000 CFA francs.

APA

Blédé, B., & Diouf, A. (2016). Togo’s maritime challenges: Why security remains a major issue. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR18_ENG.pdf

Chicago

Blédé, Barthélémy, and André Diouf. Togo’s maritime challenges: Why security remains a major issue. Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR18_ENG.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Blédé |first1=Barthélémy |last2=Diouf |first2=André |title=Togo’s maritime challenges: Why security remains a major issue |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=August 2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR18_ENG.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bld2016togos, author = {Blédé, Barthélémy and Diouf, André}, title = {{Togo’s maritime challenges: Why security remains a major issue}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/WAR18_ENG.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }