Togo sets up unit to advance rural land reform nationwide
Thursday, 02 April 2026 13:01 
(Togo First) - Togo has established a dedicated unit to manage a land reform project aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, after a Cabinet decision on Wednesday.
The new structure is designed to continue work under the Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Program, a U.S.-funded initiative whose funding ended prematurely after a policy reversal by the Trump administration.
“The government has decided to ensure the gains are sustained under national management,” the Cabinet said.
The unit builds on results from several pilot zones, where innovative approaches were tested in land mapping, land rights registration and conflict prevention. To date, 2,645 hectares have been mapped and a number of longstanding disputes have been resolved.
The unit’s mandate will be to consolidate those gains and gradually extend the reforms nationwide. It is also expected to build on the tools and methodologies developed to strengthen land governance.
The announcement comes as secure land access remains a central challenge for agricultural development in Togo, where land disputes account for most court cases.
Clarifying land tenure rules is seen as essential not only to improving productivity, but also to attracting greater investment and reducing conflicts over land use.
The government said the structure will help strengthen land security in rural areas, improve access to agricultural land and create a more favourable environment for investment in the sector. The broader aim is to improve rural land management in line with the country’s agricultural transformation and economic development goals.
R.E.D
