Lomé, 04 December 2025-(©AfreePress)- From 8 to 12 December, the Togolese capital will host the 9th Pan-African Congress, a major continental gathering that will place Lomé at the heart of a strategic reflection on Africa’s future and the role of its diasporas. Held under the theme “Renewing Pan-Africanism and Africa’s Role in Reforming Multilateral Institutions : Mobilizing Resources and Reinventing Ourselves for Action,” the event is part of the Decade of African Roots and the African Diaspora (2021–2031), an initiative spearheaded by Togo and adopted by the African Union.
The momentum behind this initiative dates back to 2020, when Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Robert Dussey, called on the African Union to designate a decade dedicated to African roots and the diaspora. Endorsed during the 34th AU Summit in 2021, the proposal strengthened the bonds between the continent, its diasporas, and Afro-descendants, now officially recognized as an integral part of the African Union. Resolutions adopted during the 36th and 38th AU Summits later confirmed Lomé as the host city of the 9th Pan-African Congress, underscoring Togo’s leadership in the renaissance of contemporary Pan-Africanism.
This congress follows a long and rich historical tradition. Since the first Pan-African Conference in 1900, such gatherings—held across Europe, the United States and Africa—have consistently fostered dialogue between the continent and its global communities. After Dar es Salaam, Kampala and Johannesburg, Lomé becomes the fourth African city to host the Congress, with the ambition to offer a contemporary perspective on today’s major challenges: Africa’s representation in global institutions, diaspora engagement, new governance models, and the promotion of Afro-descendant expertise.
A distinctive feature of this 9th edition lies in its innovative and inclusive preparatory process. Six regional conferences—in North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa, as well as among the diaspora—have helped involve local actors, civil society, intellectuals and Afro-descendant communities. This approach marks the emergence of a participatory Pan-Africanism, grounded in the voices and aspirations of the people.
The Congress aims to create a genuine platform for collective thinking on Africa’s future amid a rapidly changing global landscape. Delegates will work to shape a strong African vision, define strategies for resource mobilization, reconsider institutional frameworks, and build a renewed Pan-Africanism capable of enhancing Africa’s influence in global reform debates. Special attention will be given to the expectations of the diaspora and Afro-descendants, whose expertise and leadership represent essential assets for the continent’s development.
At the conclusion of the proceedings, participants will adopt the Lomé Declaration, addressing political, cultural, social and identity-based dimensions of Africa’s future. A White Paper on Pan-African Renewal and several outreach documents will also be produced to widely disseminate the Congress’s key outcomes across the continent and its diasporas.
Government representatives, international institutions, regional organizations, academics, artists, youth groups, women’s organizations and diaspora leaders are all mobilized to make this gathering a milestone event. From its launch in 2023 to its culmination in December 2025, the entire process has been characterized by strong engagement and extensive consultations.
With the 9th Pan-African Congress, Lomé aims to inject new life, coherence and modernity into the Pan-African ideal. More than a century after the birth of the movement, Africa and its diasporas once again unite in the Togolese capital to shape an ambitious, inclusive and forward-looking vision for the continent’s future.
Albertine A.
