Togo Shares Its Money With Benin

TOGO · NEIGHBOURHOOD

Togo neighbours matter to US readers because this small coastal country links the Atlantic to the Sahel, the dry belt south of the Sahara. This guide covers Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, their trade, a shared river, their money and their clubs.

Togo and Its Neighbours in Plain English

Togo is a small country in West Africa that sits between Ghana and Benin and touches Burkina Faso in the north. This guide shows how Togo neighbours live side by side: borders, trade, money, a shared river and regional clubs.

For the country itself, see our Togo explainer and the Africa hub. Our Benin explainer and our guide to Ivory Coast and its neighbours cover the coastal countries on either side.

• Ghana: Togo’s western neighbour, with about 35.1 million people in 2025 and its own currency, the cedi.
• Benin: the eastern neighbour, with about 14.8 million people in 2025 and President Romuald Wadagni, elected on 12 April 2026.
• Burkina Faso: the landlocked northern neighbour, with about 24.1 million people in 2025.
• ECOWAS: the Economic Community of West African States, a regional club of 12 member states in 2026, based in Abuja, Nigeria.
• UMOA: the West African Monetary Union, eight countries that share the CFA franc and one central bank, the BCEAO in Dakar.
• AES: the Alliance of Sahel States, a bloc of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger that no longer sits in ECOWAS.

Togo on the Map

Togo covers 56,785 square kilometres, according to the BCEAO, the central bank of the CFA franc zone. That is a little smaller than West Virginia, at about 62,756 square kilometres according to the US Census Bureau.

Togo is a narrow strip that runs from a short Gulf of Guinea coast to the Burkina Faso border in the north. Its capital, Lomé, lies on the coast close to the Ghana border.

About 8.59 million people lived in Togo in 2025, according to World Bank data. The economy produced about US$11.9 billion that year, or about US$1,384 per person.

About 44% of Togolese lived in towns and cities in 2025, according to World Bank data. Togo neighbours Ghana on a western border that begins at the sea.

Benin lies to the east, and the Mono River forms part of that border. Burkina Faso lies to the north.

Ghana to the West and Benin to the East

Togo neighbours two coastal countries that differ in size and money. Ghana has about four times Togo’s population, while Benin has almost twice as many people.

Ghana

Ghana has about 35.1 million people as of 2025, according to World Bank data. It uses the cedi, which trades at about 11.6 per US dollar in October 2026, while Togo uses the CFA franc.

Ghana sold Togo about US$145 million of goods in 2023, or 4.8% of Togo’s imports, according to World Bank trade data. That made Ghana Togo’s fourth-largest supplier, behind China, France and India.

Benin

Benin has about 14.8 million people as of 2025 and shares the CFA franc and the BCEAO central bank with Togo. Togo sold Benin about US$123 million of goods in 2023, or 8.4% of its exports.

Benin’s government is led by President Romuald Wadagni, who won the election on 12 April 2026. On 28 October 2026 it said a three-year border-security programme with the International Organization for Migration covers towns most exposed to violent extremism.

Burkina Faso and the Sahel to the North

Burkina Faso has about 24.1 million people as of 2025, and among Togo neighbours it is the only one without a coast. It belongs to the Alliance of Sahel States with Mali and Niger, which no longer appear on ECOWAS’s member list.

Togo’s northern border runs along Burkina Faso, according to the BCEAO. Togo’s own Sahel strategy says security threats are spreading towards the Gulf of Guinea states.

Burkina Faso bought about US$133 million of Togolese exports in 2023, or 9.2% of the total, according to World Bank trade data. Only India bought more, and Mali ranked fourth at about US$114 million, or 7.8%.

Togo’s government said on 28 October 2026 that Russia and Togo are discussing a corridor to move goods through Lomé to the Sahel. It added that Russia is studying container links between Russia, Togo and Burkina Faso.

Trade, the Port and the Corridors

Togo’s trade was small but busy in 2023, according to World Bank trade data. Exports came to about US$1.46 billion and imports to about US$3.05 billion.

India took 22.5% of Togo’s exports and China supplied 19.0% of its imports. Burkina Faso, Benin, Mali and Cote d’Ivoire together took about 32% of exports.

Landlocked Burkina Faso and Mali sit among the top buyers, which fits the role of Lomé as a coastal gateway. Among Togo neighbours, Ghana is the main supplier, at about US$145 million of imports.

Togo’s 2026 to 2028 Sahel strategy lists opening up landlocked areas and logistics corridors as one of five pillars. Togo presented it at a high-level meeting in Lomé on 18 April 2026.

Our report on China cancelling part of Togo’s debt covers one of Togo’s biggest outside partners. Our report on Togo’s digital deal with Huawei covers a separate agreement signed in October 2026.

The Mono River on the Border

The Mono River runs 530 kilometres, and nearly 100 kilometres of it form the border between Togo and Benin. Its basin covers 24,300 square kilometres, with 21,300 in Togo and 3,000 in Benin.

About 3.4 million people live in the basin, 58% in Togo and 42% in Benin. Recurrent floods and climate change are among its main challenges, according to the Mono Basin Authority’s 2024 review.

The Nangbeto Dam and Shared Power

The two countries share the Nangbeto hydroelectric dam, which dates from 1987. The same 2024 review says an irrigation potential of 40,000 hectares remains unused.

The two presidents signed a convention on 30 December 2014 that created the Mono Basin Authority to manage the river together. The review also names two planned shared dams, Adjarala and Tetetou, and gives no date for either.

Regional Clubs and Where Togo Leads

Togo, Ghana and Benin all belong to ECOWAS, whose seat is Abuja, Nigeria. Its member list shows 12 states in October 2026, without Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Togo and Benin also belong to the UMOA, an eight-country monetary union with the BCEAO as common central bank. Ghana stays outside it.

Where Togo Leads

Togo adopted a Togo-Sahel Strategy for 2026 to 2028 at a high-level meeting in Lomé on 18 April 2026. It rests on five pillars: political dialogue, good neighbourliness, economic integration, security cooperation and diplomacy.

The foreign ministers of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger came, as did the UN envoy for the Sahel and the ECOWAS Commission president. Faure Gnassingbé, Togo’s President of the Council, placed the meeting under his high patronage.

Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové has been Togo’s President of the Republic since Parliament elected him on 3 May 2025. The two offices are separate under Togo’s current constitution.

Where Togo Follows

Interest rates for Togo are set in Dakar by the BCEAO. Its Monetary Policy Committee met on 10 June and 9 September 2026.

What It Means for US Readers

For US readers, Togo is a coastal gateway to the Sahel, where the Togolese government itself describes spreading security threats. Its strategy puts dialogue with the three Sahel states at the centre.

That makes Togo a place to watch for diplomats and aid groups. Travellers should check the State Department travel advisories for each of the Togo neighbours before crossing a border.

Companies shipping to Lomé deal with the CFA franc, at about 589 francs to the US dollar in October 2026. Ghana uses the cedi instead, at about 11.6 to the dollar.

What Is Not Known

As of October 2026, it is not known how the 2026 to 2028 Sahel strategy will be paid for. It is also not known whether the Russian corridor talks will lead to regular cargo through Lomé.

No date is set for the planned Adjarala and Tetetou dams on the Mono River. How much cargo bound for the Sahel will pass through Lomé in 2027 is also open.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which countries border Togo?

Three Togo neighbours share a land border: Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. The south faces the Gulf of Guinea.

Is Togo a member of ECOWAS?

Yes. Togo belongs to ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, which listed 12 member states in October 2026, without Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Does Togo use the same money as Ghana?

No. Togo uses the CFA franc, shared with Benin and Burkina Faso, while Ghana uses the cedi. About 589 CFA francs buy one US dollar in October 2026.

What is the Mono River?

It is a 530-kilometre river whose lower stretch forms about 100 kilometres of the Togo-Benin border. The two countries share the Nangbeto dam and manage the basin through the Mono Basin Authority.

Which neighbour buys the most from Togo?

Among Togo neighbours it is Burkina Faso, with about US$133 million of Togolese exports in 2023, or 9.2% of the total. Benin followed at about US$123 million.

Why does Togo talk to the Sahel alliance?

Togo’s April 2026 strategy puts dialogue and good neighbourliness with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger first. It hosted their foreign ministers in Lomé on 18 April 2026.

Sources: BCEAO, Togo country page (area, borders, monetary union, Monetary Policy Committee dates), 2026-10-28; World Bank, World Development Indicators for Togo (population, GDP, urbanisation), 2026-10-28; World Bank WITS, Togo trade summary and partners, 2023, 2026-10-28; Mono Basin Authority, state of the Mono basin: challenges and outlook, 2024, 2024; ECOWAS, member states, 2026-10-28; Togo, High-Level Meeting on the New Togo-Sahel Strategy 2026-2028, Lomé, 18 April 2026 (official account), 2026-04-18; US Census Bureau, State Area Measurements (West Virginia), 2010; Presidency of Togo, President of the Republic Jean-Lucien Savi de Tove, 2026-10-28; Government of Togo, official news site: Russia corridor to the Sahel via Lome (28 Oct 2026), 2026-10-28; Government of Benin, Coastal States Stability Mechanism workshop, 27 October 2026, 2026-10-28; Presidency of Benin, inauguration speech of President Romuald Wadagni, 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief

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