Togo Reviews Progress of Land Reform Project Backed by MCC Threshold Program
Monday, 09 March 2026 13:20 
(Togo First) - Togolese authorities and land sector stakeholders met last week in Lomé to assess progress under the Land Reform for Agricultural Productivity Project (LRAP). The national consultation workshop was organized by OMCA-Togo, the agency implementing the Millennium Challenge Account program, in coordination with the Ministry of Territorial Planning, Urban Development and Housing.
The workshop brought together representatives of local governments, traditional authorities, researchers, technical and financial partners, and communities from pilot sites.
Lessons from Land Reform Pilots
Discussions focused on results achieved in the communes of Oti-Sud 2, Dankpen 2, Tchamba 3, Wawa 2 and Zio 4, where participatory land management approaches were piloted.
The interventions aimed to strengthen conflict prevention, improve the security of land use rights and promote more inclusive access to land, particularly for women and young people.
According to the Ministry of Territorial Planning and Urban Development, the pilot programs helped build the capacity of local stakeholders and strengthen mechanisms for resolving land disputes in the targeted areas.
Minister Sévon-Tépé Kodjo Adédzé said the results lay the groundwork for continued reform.
"The LRAP project, which provides this framework for exchange, is one of the two projects under the Threshold Program. Although the Threshold Program ended prematurely, it delivered on its promises, with Togo's eligibility for the Compact program," he said.
The minister added that this eligibility was just one outcome of the "structural reforms" pursued by the government in recent years.
Results to Feed Into Land Reform
Data presented at the workshop showed the project mapped 37.5% of the targeted land area and helped resolve several land disputes in certain pilot localities.
These results are expected to inform the drafting of implementing decrees under the Land and State Property Code and improve land governance in rural areas.
"The performance recorded by our country on the eligibility indicators is a strong signal of Togo's credibility and its commitment to continuing reforms that improve the environment for productive investment," Minister Adédzé added.
The LRAP was part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program, an agreement between Togo and the United States designed to support institutional reforms and remove certain constraints to growth. The program had a budget of approximately 21 billion CFA francs and comprised two main components: land reform through the LRAP and a project to modernize the information technology sector.
The program was among those affected by the freeze on foreign aid ordered by the administration of Donald Trump in January 2025. That decision halted several ongoing projects in the country across sectors ranging from health to security.
R.E.D.
