In Lomé’s Agoè district, young entrepreneur Patient Pouwereou Bodjona is revolutionizing Togo’s boat industry by building canoes from recycled steel. His company, Bo-Bateaux, founded in 2016, aims to make safer, more durable boats in a sector traditionally dominated by wooden crafts.
Inspired by a 2011 shipwreck that claimed 36 lives, Bodjona turned his childhood passion for tinkering into an innovative career. Despite having no formal engineering background, he learned welding and metalwork through online tutorials and self-training. Since 2018, Bo-Bateaux has produced 12 steel boats, offering longer-lasting and safer options for fishing and transport. However, high production costs, limited capital, and complex registration fees continue to slow the company’s growth.
Bodjona hopes for government support to simplify administrative procedures and promote young innovators in the blue economy. His journey embodies determination and creativity, positioning him as a pioneer of sustainable shipbuilding in Togo.
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