Togo Outlines AI Strategy Centered on Education and Regional Data Governance

Education

Wednesday, 19 November 2025 19:36

Togo Outlines AI Strategy Centered on Education and Regional Data Governance

(Togo First) - Togo’s Minister of Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation, Cina Lawson, outlined the government’s AI priorities this week with a strong focus on education, shared data infrastructure and regional coordination of digital rules.

Speaking at the Regional Summit on Digital Transformation in Cotonou on November 17–18, Lawson said Togo plans to deploy an AI agent in its school system. “This is a key step in preparing schools for the AI era,” she said.

AI agents are autonomous programs that can carry out tasks, analyze data, make basic decisions and interact with users. They are increasingly used to automate, support or personalize services.

Lawson said the education initiative builds on ongoing connectivity efforts, including the rollout of fiber in eleven municipalities. Ensuring that schools and health centers have high-speed internet is a prerequisite for new digital services.

Regional Infrastructure and Governance

Lawson stressed that the cost of computing infrastructure makes regional cooperation essential. She argued that no country in West Africa can finance an AI-dedicated data center on its own. “No country will fund an AI data center alone. We need to work together at the regional level to create a shared cluster,” she said. The approach builds on the new Tier III+ data center recently commissioned with World Bank support.

Lawson also said Togo aims to digitize all ministries within the next eighteen months. This process will generate large volumes of data that must be properly managed, with clear rules governing how it is accessed, used and shared.

She noted that West Africa still lacks a unified standard for data sharing. “We must build a clear framework to enable innovation and digital sovereignty,” she said, adding that data sharing and AI governance must be aligned across the region to support an integrated digital market.

These priorities reflect the commitments set out in the Cotonou Declaration, adopted at the conclusion of the summit co-organized with the World Bank. The declaration urges West and Central African countries to coordinate data governance, develop regional AI capabilities, and accelerate the rollout of key digital services in areas such as education and public administration.

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

REFORMS OVERVIEW

STARTING A BUSINESS (more info)

At the fifteenth position, worldwide, and first in Africa, under the Starting a Business index of the 2020 Doing Business ranking, Togo sustains its reformative dynamics with more reforms….

ENFORCING CONTRACTS (more info)

Compared to some years ago when it was one of the lowest rankers under the Doing Business’ Enforcing Contracts indicator, Togo, leveraging many efforts to improve its business climate, was able to jump significantly on the index in the recent years... .

CONTRACT EXECUTION (more info)

Creation of special chambers of commerce for small debts • Creation of chambers of commerce at the Court of Appeal • Civil and commercial cases now handled by distinct clerks • Establishment of commercial courts in Lomé and Kara • Lawyers and bailiffs now have access to the FORSETI COMMERCIAL platform • A maximum period of 100 days was fixed to settle a commercial dispute .

TRADING ACROSS BORDERS (more info)

In comparison to previous years,Togo has significantly improved its ranking under the“Trading across borders” indicator by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

In comparison to previous years, Togo has significantly improved its ranking on the “Trading across borders” index by adopting multiple reforms that focus mainly on the digitalization and reduction in delays, for import and export procedures related to import and export.

CONSTRUCTION PERMIT (more info)

After moving from the 133rd to 127th place under the 2020 Doing Business’ construction permit index, Togo intends to reiterate this feat in the coming edition of the global ranking. To this end, it has introduced this year multiple reforms.

GETTING ELECTRICITY (more info)

Over the past two years, Togo’s ranking under the Doing Business’ Getting electricity and water indicator has increased consistently. Owing this performance to multiple reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to access power and water, Lomé plans to introduce even more reforms this year to keep up its improvements.

REGISTERING A PROPERTY (more info)

Out of all the 'Doing Business’ indicators, Property Registration is where Togo has improved the most since 2018. Indeed, after spending years in the lowest part of this ranking, the country now seeks to beat Rwanda which is the best performer on this index in Africa. To do so, Lomé has been introducing many reforms, with the latest batch implemented this year.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT (more info)

From professionalization to digitization, through legislative regulations, Togo’s public procurement framework is constantly being modernized. Several reforms have been implemented to improve the sector much to the benefit of the private sector, which is the focus of the National Development Plan.

PAYING TAXES AND DUTIES (more info)

To improve its business environment, Togo introduced some important reforms related to the payment of tax and duties. From the replacement of some taxes to the cancellation of others through exemptions, the country has only one objective: offer the most attractive tax framework to investors and economic operators. To achieve this, the authorities relied on digitization.