Togo has temporarily suspended the issuance of mining permits for prospecting and researching mineral substances, according to a recent decree from the Ministry of Mines and Energy Resources.
The ministry described the suspension as a “strategic pause” to allow for a thorough reform of the Mining Code. “This is a strategic pause, the time to provide our country with a more appropriate, more rigorous legal framework, geared towards sustainability, transparency and inclusion,” the ministry stated.
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This decision aligns with institutional reforms initiated under the Fifth Republic, following the adoption of the new Constitution on May 6, 2024. A review of the Mining Code is underway to update the text for stricter and more appropriate supervision of natural resource exploitation, described by the ministry as “a further step towards a more responsible and equitable mining sector.”
The suspension applies to all mineral substances throughout Togo, except for construction materials and industrial minerals.
The current Mining Code, adopted in 1996 and amended in 2003, is considered inadequate to meet current international standards and “appears obsolete in the face of contemporary environmental, social, and economic challenges,” according to authorities.
