Togo, World Bank review security and resilience programs in northern regions

Security

Wednesday, 04 March 2026 12:23

Togo, World Bank review security and resilience programs in northern regions

(Togo First) - Support for communities in northern Togo, where security threats persist, was the focus of a meeting held on Monday, March 2, 2026, in Lomé between the Togolese government and a delegation from the World Bank Group.

Talks reviewed the first cycle of the Prevention and Resilience Allocation (PRA-IDA20), which has now been completed.

Togo was represented by Sandra Johnson, Secretary of the Presidency of the Council. The World Bank delegation was led by Marie-Chantal Uwanyiligira, Country Director for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea and Togo. Discussions addressed policy priorities aimed at preventing violent extremism, strengthening community resilience and improving local security.

Review of initiatives

The meeting also assessed the impact of several initiatives launched in recent years. These include the Inter-ministerial Committee for the Prevention and Fight Against Violent Extremism (CIPLEV), Operation Koundjoaré and the Emergency Program for Strengthening Community Resilience and Security (PURS), which has since been expanded nationwide.

The discussions helped identify lessons from the first PRA cycle under IDA20 and outline priorities for future commitments under IDA21. The aim is to ensure that upcoming financing and programs are aligned with Togo’s national priorities and adapted to local conditions, particularly in areas most exposed to security risks.

Building on progress

According to Sandra Johnson, Togo’s priority is to build on recent progress and further strengthen community resilience, which the government considers central to a long-term prevention strategy in vulnerable regions.

Since 2022, the World Bank Group has supported Togo through several funding initiatives designed to protect communities in the country’s northern regions. The institution notably backs multisectoral projects under the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP-Togo) and PURS, contributing to the stabilization and socio-economic development of fragile areas.

Esaïe Edoh

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)

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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.