SDGs: What Togolese People Think about The Country’s Progress
Tuesday, 14 September 2021 16:13 
(Togo First) - Seventy-two percent of people living in Togo said they faced moderate or high poverty over the past year. This is one of the major conclusions of a survey that Afrobarometer conducted on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Under the study, 1,200 adults, all Togolese, were interviewed between December 2020 and January 2021. “The survey’s results present citizens’ opinions regarding 12 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, comparable to official progress-measuring indicators,” Afrobarometer said.
Mitigated access to basic social services
Concerning access to basic social services, 74% of those surveyed claimed they have access to a safe source of water, 32% said they have access to drinking water in their house or compound, and 31% said they lacked clean water in the last 12 months.
Regarding electricity, dispatched enumerators found that 71% of the households surveyed had electricity. However, only 56% of the surveyed reported they were connected to the grid. As for access to the GSM network, 83% of the surveyed are covered.
Afrobarometer’s experts also found that there are schools in 83% of the area surveyed, with 71% of the sample population claiming they attended secondary school - 56% female.
Regarding health, the coverage rate for the area surveyed is 43% and only 23% of those surveyed said they never lacked healthcare in the past year.
A retrospective comparison
Compared to 2014, last year’s figures are better, especially for indicators related to SDGs 1, 2, 3, and 7, respective to poverty reduction, zero hunger, health, clean and affordable electricity.
Between 2014 and now, the number of people who have access to the grid grew by 5%, while those having running water in their houses and compounds increased by 7% in number. Meanwhile, the percentage of women surveyed with at least a high school education soared by 10%, over the period reviewed.
Klétus Situ
