TOGO · MARITIME SECURITY
Key Facts
- Who Togo’s maritime prefecture, the state body coordinating action at sea, led by a maritime prefect, with about 300 people from 24 administrations.
- What Grand African NEMO 2026, a regional sea-safety drill, simulated piracy, a fire at sea and arms and drug trafficking.
- When Three days, ending Wednesday 4 November 2026 in Lomé, Togo’s capital.
- Why it matters Lomé, a West African port, handled 2.4 million container units in 2025, up 16%.
- Not known No evaluation results beyond the maritime prefect’s remark and no list of the 24 administrations.
Togo ended a three-day regional sea-safety exercise called Grand African NEMO 2026 in Lomé, its capital, on Wednesday 4 November 2026. About 300 people from 24 administrations rehearsed a pirate attack, a fire at sea and arms and drug trafficking.
Lomé is a major West African container and transshipment port on the Gulf of Guinea, the sea along the region’s southern coast. In our analysis, security at sea there matters to the shipping routes that carry goods to US markets.
What Happened
Grand African NEMO is a multinational sea-safety exercise, and this was its ninth edition. The Togolese maritime prefecture (préfecture maritime, the state body that coordinates action at sea) organised it with European Union support and French navy participation.
Togo deployed three high-seas patrol vessels, three boats, six navy patrol boats, three gendarmerie (paramilitary police) patrol boats and three air force aircraft. The exercise ended after three days with a presentation of results.
The Regional Test
One scenario tested the Yaoundé architecture, the 2013 regional framework for sea security in the Gulf of Guinea, adopted on 25 June 2013. In it, Nigeria reported a suspect ship to Benin.
Benin then alerted Togo, and Togolese forces carried out a simulated interception. The scenario simulated how a warning passes between neighbouring coastal states.
What the Prefect Said
The maritime prefect, a colonel, presented the results at the end of the exercise. He said in French: « Tout ça, ce sont des capacités que le Togo a ; il coordonne l’ensemble de ces moyens pour aboutir à de très bons résultats ».
In English, he said these are capabilities Togo already has, and that it coordinates all of these means to reach very good results. We found no published evaluation beyond that remark.
Why Lomé Matters
Lomé port handled 2.4 million TEU (twenty-foot container units, the standard container measure) in 2025, up 16% on the year. In 2024 total cargo reached 30.6 million tonnes.
Of that, 20.2 million tonnes was transshipment, meaning cargo moved from one ship to another. That makes the port a hub where safe sea lanes matter for goods moving on to other markets.
In Plain English
A drill is a rehearsal, not a real incident. Piracy means armed attack at sea, and trafficking means smuggling arms or drugs.
What Is Not Known
The prefect gave no results beyond his remark, and we could not find a list of the 24 administrations. The exercise was a rehearsal.
For more on Togo, see how it tightened borders over Ebola and its proposed West Africa highway. Wider coverage sits in our Africa news hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grand African NEMO?
It is a multinational sea-safety exercise, now in its ninth edition. The 2026 edition ran for three days in Lomé and ended on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
What threats did Togo rehearse?
Togo rehearsed a pirate attack, a fire at sea, and arms and drug trafficking. About 300 people from 24 administrations took part.
Why does Lomé port matter?
Lomé handled 2.4 million TEU in 2025, up 16%. In 2024, 20.2 million of its 30.6 million tonnes of cargo was transshipment.
Sources: Togolese maritime prefecture, statements at the close of Grand African NEMO 2026 (4 November 2026); Lomé port traffic statistics for 2024 and 2025. Read on 8 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. How we use AI · Report an error