Togo has expanded its flagship cash transfer programme nationwide after an initial launch in the capital, extending payments to vulnerable households across four regions as part of efforts to cushion rising living costs and strengthen social protection, the government said.
The rollout, which began in mid-December in Lomé, has now been extended to the Savanes, Kara, Centrale and Maritime regions, marking a significant scale-up of one of the country’s main social assistance schemes.
Authorities say the programme is designed to provide immediate financial relief to the poorest households while supporting longer-term resilience through local economic activity.
In the northern Savanes region, one of the poorest areas of the country, more than 150,000 beneficiaries have been identified. Each eligible household will receive an unconditional cash transfer of 25,000 CFA francs (about $42), paid via mobile money platforms operated by Yas and Moov Togo.
The National Agency for Support to Grassroots Development (ANADEB), which oversees implementation, said beneficiaries were selected using data from the national census compiled by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic and Demographic Studies (INSEED).
That data was then verified through field checks carried out in more than 1,700 villages to ensure that the most vulnerable households were targeted, ANADEB said.
Similar arrangements are being used as the programme is rolled out in other regions.
In the Kara region, authorities have enrolled 19,480 vulnerable households, with total funding of 3.5 billion CFA francs allocated for payments. In the Centrale region, 13,615 households have been included in an initial phase, while in the Maritime region more than 21,000 people have already been identified to receive transfers through mobile phones.
Officials say the use of mobile money is intended to speed up payments, reduce administrative costs and improve transparency, particularly in rural areas where access to banks is limited.
The cash transfer scheme forms part of the first pillar of Togo’s National Social Protection Programme and aligns with the government’s 2020–2025 development roadmap, which prioritises poverty reduction, social inclusion and human capital development.
Authorities say the initiative is aimed at helping households cope with the impact of rising prices for food, fuel and basic services, as well as economic shocks linked to climate variability and regional insecurity.
Togo, a country of around nine million people, has faced mounting pressure on household budgets in recent years as inflation and external shocks have pushed up the cost of living, particularly for low-income families.
By providing unconditional cash transfers, the government hopes to give beneficiaries the flexibility to meet their most urgent needs, while also stimulating local economies as the money is spent on goods and services.
Officials say the programme also seeks to support income-generating activities at the community level, helping households move beyond short-term coping strategies.
Nearly 700,000 people nationwide are expected to benefit from the cash transfers, according to government estimates. The initiative is backed by funding of about 3.5 billion CFA francs and supported by a range of international partners.
These include the World Bank, the United Nations system, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the African Development Bank, which provide financial resources, technical assistance and oversight.
Social protection programmes have expanded across West Africa in recent years as governments seek to mitigate the social impact of economic volatility, climate shocks and security challenges.
Cash transfer schemes, in particular, have gained prominence as a relatively quick and cost-effective way to reach vulnerable populations, especially when combined with digital payment systems.
In Togo, authorities say lessons learned from earlier pilot programmes, including emergency cash transfers rolled out during the COVID-19 pandemic, helped inform the design and targeting of the current initiative.
The government has not said whether the programme will be extended beyond the current funding envelope or made permanent, but officials have indicated that social protection will remain a central pillar of public policy.
Analysts note that sustaining such programmes will depend on fiscal space, donor support and the ability to link short-term assistance with longer-term development measures, such as job creation and improved access to education and health services.
For now, the nationwide expansion marks a major step in Togo’s efforts to build a more comprehensive social safety net, as authorities seek to balance economic reform with protection for the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
