Togo and Poland have signed a €24 million (US$27.8 million) financing agreement to support the development of a domestic drone industry, as the West African nation pushes to expand its technological and industrial capabilities.
The agreement, signed during an official visit to Lomé by Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, will fund the creation of Africa Drone Company, a project focused on drone design, assembly and deployment across multiple sectors.
Officials said the initiative aims to build local expertise in strategic technologies while supporting broader economic modernisation efforts in Togo.
The project will be led by Cyber Defense Africa, a cybersecurity firm established in 2019 through a partnership between the Togolese government and European technology group Asseco Data Systems.
Under the agreement, the company will oversee the development of Togo’s emerging drone ecosystem, with expected applications in security, agriculture, logistics, industrial monitoring and the protection of critical infrastructure.
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Funding for the initiative is being provided by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego under the European Union’s Global Gateway programme, with additional backing through guarantees from the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus.
Authorities said the project goes beyond simply importing technology and will instead prioritise knowledge transfer, technical training and the development of local industrial capacity.
Togo’s Ministry of Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation described the partnership as part of a broader strategy to strengthen national control over strategic technologies and expand high-value industrial sectors.
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In recent years, Togo has accelerated investment in digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and e-government systems as part of wider efforts to modernise public administration and diversify the economy.
The drone initiative represents a further step into advanced industrial technologies, with officials hoping it will position Togo as a regional technology hub.
Analysts say the use of drones across sectors such as agriculture, border security and logistics has expanded rapidly across Africa in recent years, driven by falling technology costs and increasing demand for data-driven services.
Governments across the continent are increasingly exploring domestic drone manufacturing and assembly as part of efforts to reduce technological dependence and develop local innovation ecosystems.
The agreement also reflects growing economic cooperation between European partners and African countries under infrastructure and digital development initiatives linked to the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, which seeks to strengthen investment ties and counter growing geopolitical competition in emerging markets.
