Togo: UPRAD-Togo joins FIATA, marking a new milestone for the forwarding sector

Togo is consolidating its position as a regional logistics hub in West Africa, driven by the Autonomous Port of Lomé which serves the Sahelian hinterland (Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali). Amid growing competition among West African ports (Abidjan, Tema, Cotonou), freight forwarders are seeking to strengthen their international credibility. In this dynamic, the Union professionnelle des agréés en douane (UPRAD) of Togo has just joined the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), based in Geneva. According to Financial Afrik, which interviewed Patrick Magnon, president of UPRAD-Togo, this membership "is not an end in itself. It marks the beginning of a new stage," he states. The source does not specify the exact date or the number of member agents in UPRAD. For Togolese forwarders, this affiliation unlocks access to globally recognized FIATA standards, facilitating cross-border trade and reassuring shippers and insurers. Beyond the protocol symbol, the real challenge lies in implementation: training in FIATA standards, digitalization, and UPRAD governance. The regional context - port rivalry, Sahelian instability - gives strategic value to this step. It remains to be seen whether it will translate into measurable gains in traffic or customs clearance times, data not disclosed at this stage.