Togo First
Togo Advances Digital ID Program With New Enrollment Phase in Maritime Region
Togo is expanding its national biometric enrollment drive to the Maritime region, allowing residents to obtain their new biometric identity cards starting Saturday, November 22.
The operation was announced by the National Identification Agency (ANID), which is implementing the e-ID biometric identification project. The expansion follows successful rollouts in the Gulf, Agoè-Nyivé, and Savanes prefectures.
Enrollment will commence in Zone 1 of the Maritime region, which includes the prefectures of Vo, Yoto, Bas-Mono, and Lacs. The National Institute of Statistics, Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED) is managing the deployment of personnel in the field.
As with previous phases, the operation aims to assign every resident a Unique Identification Number (NIU). This number is intended to serve as a single access key to various public, private, and social services, including education, social security, pensions, finance, health, vaccination, and monetary transfers. The system will also consolidate a secure and reliable central database.
All citizens are eligible for the e-ID Togo project, including children aged zero to five, who can be registered using a parent's NIU. The biometric enrollment is financed by the World Bank under the WURI-Togo project, which seeks to provide every citizen with a unique and secure identity.
Togo installs new municipal teams as decentralization enters second term
In Togo, the renewal of municipal teams is progressing nationwide. Since mid-November, handover ceremonies have taken place across the five regions, marking the installation of new mayors for the second term of the decentralization process launched in 2019.
In Plateaux-Ouest, several communes have installed new executives. In Kloto 2, Kodzo Mawuena Eho replaces Mensah Abotsi-Dzegbla, according to the Togolese Press Agency (ATOP). In Kloto 3, Yawo Asagbé takes over. In Agou 1, leadership goes to Kodjovi Patrick Sénam Bolouvi, while in Agou 2, Séssimé Koofi Sakpa is reinstated. In Danyi 1, Kossivi Wonyra takes office, and in Danyi 2, Amavi Alovor replaces Bawa Sémedo. In Kpélé 1, Dodzi Abotsi succeeds Batchey Komla Apédo. In Kpélé 2, Yawa Tségan takes command, replacing Dotsou Komlan Holali.
In Plateaux-Est, transitions covered the communes of Ogou, Haho, Est-Mono, Moyen-Mono, Amou, Akébou, Anié, and Wawa. Among the new officials, Agbo Koudjo takes the lead in Wawa 3. Prefects emphasized the importance of citizen participation and careful management of local resources.
In the Kara region, transitions have been completed in all communes. In Kozah 1, N’Djelle Abby Eddah becomes mayor, and in Kozah 2, Batchassi Essonanna takes over municipal leadership. In Doufelgou, Barima Étienne Massoka now heads Doufelgou 1, Koubonou Touni Atiota is reinstated in Doufelgou 2, and Kounté Anguiga leads Doufelgou 3. In Dankpen, Antoine Lékpa Gbégbéni (Dankpen 1), Kampo Nicolas (Dankpen 2), and Oninborla N’yadjaname (Dankpen 3) take office. In Binah, Egbadé Bessegrou (Binah 1) and Wélabalo Tchanda (Binah 2) assume their mandates. In Bassar, Adedokou Adessonkain (Bassar 2) and Damsa Tagba Walla (Bassar 4) are installed, along with Abou-Bakari Nouhoum Salissou (Assoli 1), Tchadizindé Djamilatou (Assoli 2), and Assima Idrissou (Assoli 3).
In the Centrale region, new teams took office between November 12 and 15. In Tchaoudjo, Ouro-Sama Mohamed Sad (Tchaoudjo 1), Kiliou Kokolou (Tchaoudjo 2), Ouro-Bodi Dissadama (Tchaoudjo 3), and Tchagnao Kpégouni (Tchaoudjo 4) were installed. In Blitta, Prof. Batchana Essohanam (Blitta 1), Malou Kodjo (Blitta 2), and Kotokoli Koami (Blitta 3) take up their positions.
In Sotouboua, Gnanguissa Plibam (Sotouboua 1), Paneto Bèguèdouwè (Sotouboua 2), and Banguina Kékéou André (Sotouboua 3) take office. In Tchamba, Titikpina Hamza (Tchamba 1), Amogou Atiodé (Tchamba 2), and Ebeh Yao (Tchamba 3) are installed. In Mô, Patchélé Koudjoukabalo Padasiwé (Mô 1) and Attah N’gissa (Mô 2) take over.
In the Maritime region, communes in Lacs, Yoto, Bas-Mono, Vo, and Avé have also renewed their executives. In Lacs, Anani Messan (Lacs 3), Anenou Ayikoé Martin (Lacs 4), Benoît Amavi (Lacs 2), and Aquéréburu Coffi Alexis (Lacs 1) take office. In Yoto, new mayors are Leguéde Yaovi Mémé (Yoto 1), Assiogbon Koffi Elom Mase (Yoto 2), and Dégbe Kokou (Yoto 3). In Bas-Mono, Agbassou Agossa (Bas-Mono 1) and Afangbédji Komlanvi Sédoufia (Bas-Mono 2) begin their terms. In Vo, Kalipé Kossi (Vo 1), Tomégah Dominique (Vo 2), Kloutsè Elom Yao (Vo 3), and Sodoli Kokouvi (Vo 4) are installed. In Avé, Nomenyo Kokouvi (Avé 1) and Ayawli Kwaku (Avé 2) take office.
These installations open the way for the country’s second wave of mayors since the decentralization process and the 2019 municipal elections. The challenge now will be for local authorities to turn these institutional transitions into effective operational tools with concrete impacts on economic and social development, in a context often marked by limited resources.
Togo Set to Adopt New Labour Agreement After Employers, Unions Strike Deal
A new cross-industry collective bargaining agreement is set to take effect in Togo after employer organisations and trade unions agreed on the text on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2025.
After a little over a month of negotiations, the parties finalised an agreement to modernise labour relations. Based on the current Labour Code, the new framework updates working conditions to reflect today’s economic environment. It covers several areas, including pay, working conditions, safety, training, and dispute-resolution procedures.
The draft agreement will now be sent to the Directorate General of Labour (DGT) for legal review to ensure it complies with national legislation. Once approved, it will become the legal framework for workplace relations across the country.
Coami Sédolo Tamegnon, President of the National Council of Employers, said the successful dialogue leading to the agreement is “an encouraging sign for strengthening labour relations in Togo.”
After receiving the DGT’s approval, the parties will officially sign the new agreement, which will replace the one in force since December 2011.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo’s Gnassingbé to Hold Cooperation Talks With Putin in Moscow
Togo’s Council President, Faure Gnassingbé, will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin today Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, during an official visit to Moscow.
Talks will focus on strengthening cooperation, especially in peace, security and development.
The two leaders will look at expanding ties in diplomacy, trade, agriculture, energy, education and food security. They will also discuss international issues of shared concern, including regional security, climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Gnassingbé’s visit comes as Russia steps up its diplomatic activity across Africa. Moscow has shown interest in Togo before, including the visit of Mikhail Bogdanov, Putin’s special representative for Africa, to Lomé in June 2018.
Cooperation between the two countries has grown since then. Education and training remain a key area: Russia awards scholarships to Togolese students every year. Official data shows that 86 scholarships were awarded for the 2024–2025 academic year, up sharply from about ten two years earlier.
On security, Moscow ratified a military cooperation agreement in October 2025 that includes joint exercises, training, intelligence sharing, and emergency medical support.
The meeting is expected to help both countries consolidate existing ties and explore new areas of collaboration.
Esaïe Edoh
BCEAO Launches Developer Sandbox for Instant Payments
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The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) has launched a public developer sandbox for its API-Business, allowing Togolese companies and IT solution providers to develop new instant payment solutions.
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This testing environment supports the interoperable Instant Payment System (PI-SPI) platform, aiming for transfers in under ten seconds across various financial institutions.
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The initiative seeks to reduce deployment times for new digital uses and support the adoption of instant payments across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
The Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) has launched a public developer sandbox for its API-Business. This initiative allows Togolese companies and IT solution providers to access a secure environment. This environment supports the development of solutions built around the interoperable Instant Payment System (PI-SPI) platform.
This testing space offers a secure environment to simulate operations, verify technical compliance, and prepare for the integration of instant payments into financial services.
For fintech startups, the sandbox provides technical documentation, integration guides, and assistance. Companies can test merchant payment solutions, cross-border transfer services, or aggregation products linking mobile money, banks, and microfinance. The long-term objective involves reducing deployment times and supporting the adoption of new digital uses within the Union.
The PI-SPI platform, launched in Dakar in September 2025, aims to enable transfers in less than ten seconds between banks, microfinance institutions, and electronic money services. In Togo, seven financial institutions have already committed to the system. Ecobank, Orabank, BOA, Coris Bank, COFINA, Banque Atlantique, and BIAT are preparing the necessary interconnection to support 24/7 instant payments.
This article was initially published in French by R.E.D.
Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum
Togo Begins Nationwide Campaign to Enroll Non-Salaried Workers in Health Scheme
Togo’s National Social Security Fund (CNSS), which helps administer the Universal Health Insurance program (AMU), has launched a nationwide outreach and enrollment campaign for non-salaried workers. The initiative began on Monday, November 17, 2025, with a first stop in Dapaong in the Savanes region and will continue in other cities through December 30.
The campaign aims to make health coverage accessible to all independent workers. Its main objective is to explain how the AMU works, how to enroll and to encourage as many non-salaried workers as possible to sign up.
The effort follows the recent expansion of the scheme to cover informal-sector workers under the new AMU-TNS category, which includes artisans, traders, farmers and other self-employed individuals. Enrollment for this group began after the CNSS launched a dedicated digital platform.
Under AMU-TNS, workers can sign up for coverage using several payment options: 10,000 CFA francs per month, 28,500 per quarter, 54,000 per semester or 102,000 per year. Once registered, beneficiaries receive a card that gives them access to AMU services nationwide.
At the launch event, the Secretary General of the Savanes Governorship, Kégbéro Latifou Seigneur, said the campaign represented “a major step toward greater social equity and dignity” by enabling large numbers of independent workers to obtain health protection.
Representing the CNSS Director General, Sédo Kossiwa said the AMU is “more than a social program” and forms part of a broader national effort to improve health coverage for all citizens.
Non-salaried workers make up a significant share of Togo’s economy, yet they were previously excluded from the country’s social protection system.
Esaïe Edoh
Togo, World Bank Assess Priority Needs for New Urban Development Program
Togo’s Ministry of Urban Development and the World Bank are preparing the Urban Development Program for Major Urban Areas (DUGAn).
A joint team from both institutions visited Zio 1 in the town of Tsévié last week to identify the program’s first investment priorities. The initiative will cover the cities of Kara, Tsévié and Lomé.
DUGAn has a budget of 100 million dollars, or about 56.7 billion CFA francs, to be implemented over ten years. The program aims to modernize basic infrastructure, sanitation systems, urban mobility and public services in these key cities.
In Tsévié, the delegation met local authorities to assess priority needs. Discussions covered data collection, flood-risk zones, stormwater management and the condition of local infrastructure. The team then visited several sites, including the Adovou basin, the Dévé and Kpatéfi neighborhoods and the city’s markets.
According to the project team, this phase will produce an initial assessment to guide future investment. Preliminary findings were presented at a meeting with government technical departments and municipal officials, who stressed the need for coordination among municipalities, ministries and partners.
The Director General of Urban Infrastructure said a multi-sector team will carry out the next study to determine Zio 1’s specific priorities. The Governor of the Maritime Region welcomed the World Bank’s support and said the work should help strengthen the resilience and appeal of Togo’s cities.
R.E.D
Togo Launches National Digital Observatory to Support Public Policy
Togo now has a National Digital Observatory (ONN), whose platform has been operational since November 13, 2025. The tool, designed by the Ministry of Public Action Efficiency and Digital Transformation with support from GIZ, is part of ongoing efforts to modernize public administration and better manage digitalization projects.
The ONN is intended as a reference instrument that offers a precise and updated view of the national digital ecosystem. It centralizes key sector data and provides analyses to assess the impact of digital initiatives at the national level.
Open to citizens, researchers, companies, public decision-makers, and technical and financial partners, the observatory is designed to inform digital sector public policies and allow users to continuously monitor the country’s digital transformation.
Dans le cadre de la modernisation de l’action publique et du pilotage optimal des projets de digitalisation, le Togo se dote d’un outil national de pilotage du numérique : l’Observatoire National du Numérique (0NN).
— Ministère de l'Efficacité du Service Public ?? (@NumeriqueTG) November 13, 2025
Conçu pour offrir une lecture précise et actualisée de… pic.twitter.com/s0Zt6uHhdy
According to the ministry, the goal is to strengthen Togo’s position in a global context of digital transformation. The ONN plans to publish an annual report offering a full assessment of digital sector developments in Togo to improve the effectiveness of digital projects.
The creation of the observatory adds to the initiatives launched to support digital development in Togo. These include the December 2024 rollout of two public data platforms: Open Data and the Open Data Geoportal. Managed by the Togo Digital Agency, these platforms aim to improve access to public data for strategic and planning purposes. They should also help enhance government transparency while accelerating the country’s digital transformation.
Togo’s Morris Mouzou Honored with Padev 2025 for AI Contributions
Togolese innovator Dr Morris Malik Mouzou, president of the International Council of Artificial Intelligence (CONIIA) and managing director of Liksoft Africa, received the African Development Prize (Padev 2025) in Kigali on Sunday, November 16, 2025. For the Togolese figure, this award adds to the Pan-African Artificial Intelligence for Development Prize obtained during the 7th edition of the Good Governance Awards in Côte d’Ivoire.
These recognitions highlight his commitment to promoting artificial intelligence (AI) for economic and social transformation on the continent. As head of Liksoft Africa, a company based in Lomé with offices in Europe and the United States, Dr Mouzou develops digital solutions tailored to the needs of African institutions, particularly in the banking, hospital, and social security sectors.
In 2024, he organized the first Artificial Intelligence Week in Lomé. Inventor of the LIK PC, the first computer designed in Togo, and of the LIKbots, robots used in hospital services, he advocates for responsible and inclusive AI. Through CONIIA, he works to strengthen the integration of emerging technologies in African public policies.
Lomé Hosts Veterinary Experts from 14 Countries for EISMV Governance Talks
- Fourteen member states open the 54th ministerial session of the EISMV Board in Lomé.
- Delegates review 2024–2025 administrative and financial reports and examine a major expansion project.
- The session highlights Togo’s growing role in agricultural and veterinary training in West Africa.
Fourteen member states of the Inter-State School of Veterinary Sciences and Medicine (EISMV) opened the 54th ministerial session of the institution’s Board on November 17 in Lomé. The expert meeting launched a week of discussions on governance and development priorities for the Dakar-based regional school. Minister Delegate for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Gado Tchangbedji, chaired the opening session.
EISMV Director-General Professor Yalacé Yamba Kaboret said delegates will examine the 2024–2025 administrative and financial reports and assess the school’s expansion and modernization project. He said the initiative aims to strengthen admission capacity and increase the number of veterinarians trained each year. The discussions reflect broader calls to boost veterinary manpower across West and Central Africa.
Minister Tchangbedji said the decision to hold the session in Togo underscored the country’s progress in agricultural and veterinary education. He cited institutions such as the Institute of Training in Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Regional Center of Excellence for Poultry Science (CERSA) as examples of Togo’s efforts to modernize the sector.
Created in 1968, EISMV has trained more than 1,600 veterinarians from West and Central Africa and from partner countries including Madagascar and France. Officials will release the conclusions of the ministerial session on November 21.