Togo’s Lodonou Elected President of WAEMU Court of Justice

Justice

Wednesday, 11 February 2026 11:49

Togo’s Lodonou Elected President of WAEMU Court of Justice

(Togo First) - Togolese magistrate Kuami Gameli Lodonou will take over as president of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) Court of Justice after being elected by his peers on Feb. 3, 2026. He will be sworn in on Feb. 11 in Ouagadougou for a three-year term.

He succeeds Senegalese magistrate Mahawa Semou Diouf, who completed her three-year term at the helm of the community court.

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Kuami Gameli Lodonou (Left) and WAEMU President Abdoulaye Diop (right), February 6, 2026

Born in 1958, Lodonou has served as a judge at the Court since February 2021 under an additional act adopted by the Conference of Heads of State and Government. He previously served as advocate general. Before joining the Court, he was executive secretary of Togo’s OHADA National Commission.

He graduated from the National School for the Judiciary in Paris and holds a master’s degree in business law from the University of Lomé. He has also held senior positions within the Togolese judiciary, including at the Supreme Court.

Established under the Union’s revised Treaty, the WAEMU Court of Justice ensures the uniform application and interpretation of community law across the bloc’s eight member states. It settles disputes between member states and between the Union and its staff.

As president, Lodonou will oversee the Court’s work in enforcing compliance with WAEMU law, particularly in cases involving member states’ failure to meet their obligations. He takes office at a time when regional economic integration faces political and economic headwinds, placing renewed emphasis on the role of the Union’s legal framework.

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.