Decentralization in Togo: A Positive Process?

Abstract

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the decentralisation process in Togo since the municipal elections of June and August 2019, which marked the first effective implementation of a local governance system after several decades of waiting. While decentralisation is often presented in Africa as a tool for improving governance, strengthening citizen participation and accelerating local development, empirical evidence of its concrete effects remains limited. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap by assessing the institutional, financial, organisational and social dynamics of Togolese municipalities five years after their establishment.

The methodological approach adopted is mixed, combining a literature review, a quantitative survey of the country's 117 municipalities, 58 of which responded to questionnaires administered via KoboToolbox, semi-structured interviews with 25 local actors (citizens, municipal officials, local leaders), and direct non-participant observation. This methodological triangulation provides a detailed and nuanced understanding of the transformations underway in the municipalities, while linking statistical data and qualitative perceptions. The analytical framework draws on the theory of polycentric governance, which posits the existence of multiple autonomous decision-making centres cooperating within a given political system.

The study begins with a historical overview showing that, while forms of territorial organisation existed in pre-colonial times through traditional chiefdoms, the current structure of decentralisation is the result of successive colonial and post-colonial developments. The 1992 Constitution, revised in 2019, and the 2024 Constitution establishing the Fifth Republic, consolidated two levels of local government: regions and municipalities. They also specified governance obligations, including the holding of four ordinary sessions per year, each lasting a maximum of 10 days, the creation of a citizens' office, the establishment of standing committees, the adoption of planning tools such as the Municipal Development Plan (PDC), etc.

The results show, first of all, that municipalities demonstrate a genuine willingness to comply with the legal framework. On average, they held between 3.50 and 3.89 ordinary sessions per year between 2020 and 2024, with a participation rate of around 95%. The agenda is systematically shared in advance, and deliberations focus mainly on the adoption of budgets, the implementation of the PDC, the signing of partnerships, the creation of committees and accountability mechanisms. There has also been a rise in the importance of the citizens' office since 2023. 

However, these institutional advances contrast with the difficulties encountered in the implementation of development projects. Although the number of approved projects has increased significantly, from 621 in 2020 to 1,195 in 2023, their completion rate remains low. In 2023, only 56.5% of planned initiatives were actually implemented, and this rate fell to 51.2% in 2024. There are many reasons for these difficulties: insufficient financial resources, delays in disbursement, weak technical capacity, and a lack of project engineering. Nevertheless, statistical analysis reveals a significant positive correlation (r = 0.67; p < 0.000000004) between the regularity of municipal sessions and project implementation performance, highlighting the importance of institutional functioning in operational performance.

Financially, municipalities remain heavily dependent on the Local Authority Support Fund (FACT), which is the main source of funding for 100% of the municipalities surveyed. While some municipalities raise their own resources through local taxation (72.58%) or receive support from national programmes (ANADEB), decentralised cooperation initiatives or one-off grants, this structural dependence limits their financial autonomy and their capacity for multi-year planning. 

Citizen participation is another major challenge. While 72.58% of municipalities report systematic participation by the population in planning and implementation activities, 27.42% report partial participation. The interviews reveal contrasting perceptions: some citizens express a form of disenchantment, feeling that tangible results are slow to materialise; others recognise notable progress in sanitation, administrative organisation and transparency, while calling for more responses to socio-economic needs.

Finally, the analysis discusses the relevance of the polycentric model in the Togolese context. Although decentralisation has enabled the emergence of local decision-making centres, these remain insufficiently autonomous to constitute genuine centres of governance. Financial dependence, weak human resources, insufficient technical capacity and an institutional situation still under construction limit the appropriation of local power. Polycentrism, as a model of power organisation based on diversity and cooperation, remains in its infancy.

The article concludes that the decentralisation process in Togo is moving in a generally positive but fragile direction. For municipalities to become fully autonomous actors capable of stimulating sustainable territorial development, additional efforts are needed: strengthening fiscal autonomy, professionalising municipal officials, diversifying sources of funding, improving participatory governance and strengthening institutional support from the State. With this in mind, regular, participatory and transparent evaluations are essential to ensure the relevance, effectiveness and legitimacy of the decentralisation process.