The prime minister of Togo (), officially the president of the Council of Ministers of the Togolese Republic (), is the head of government of Togo. Most of the governing authority and executive powers lie in the president of the Council of Ministers, while the president of the Republic is a largely ceremonial role.
The prime minister is appointed by the president and can serve indefinite terms for up to six years; however, the prime minister has to enjoy the confidence of the majority of National Assembly members, who are directly elected every six years. A total of fourteen people have served as president of the Council of Ministers – thirteen men and one woman. Among them, one person, Edem Kodjo, has served on two non-consecutive occasions. The incumbent prime minister, Faure Gnassingbé, has served since 3 May 2025.
History
1991 conflict with the presidency
In the months following the appointment of Joseph Kokou Koffigoh as prime minister by the National Conference on 27 August 1991, the soldiers of the Togolese Armed Forces (FAT) loyal to President Gnassingbé Eyadéma repeatedly tried to oust Koffigoh:
- On 1 October 1991, the soldiers seized the national radio and television station and demanded that Koffigoh resign before leaving the station; Koffigoh said afterwards on the radio that order was restored.
- In late November 1991, the soldiers began a siege of Koffigoh's official residence in Lomé after Eyadéma's party, the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), was banned by the transitional High Council of the Republic (HCR). They demanded that Koffigoh's government be replaced and threatening to "reduce the city to ashes"; they also demanded that the RPT be legalized again and that the HCR be dissolved. Koffigoh called for French military aid. Eyadéma publicly called on the soldiers to return to their barracks and expressed continued trust in Koffigoh, but also invited him to begin consultations on the formation of a new national unity government. Koffigoh then offered to include supporters of Eyadéma in the government, but he refused to dissolve his government altogether, and he again called for French aid. On 3 December 1991, the soldiers succeeded in capturing Koffigoh in a heavy assault on his official residence, involving tanks and machine guns. Many people were killed in this violence: at least 17,
The changes officially came into force on 3 May 2025, nearly one year after the new constitution came into force. Gnassingbé became the president of the Council of Ministers, effectively retaining most of the powers he had held as president. Opposition critics claimed the new constitution was intended to effectively make Gnassingbé Togo's leader for life. The presidency, now officially a ceremonial role, was handed over to Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové, a former opposition leader during the presidency of Gnassingbé's father. Savi de Tové was unanimously elected by the National Assembly and immediately sworn in president, became the oldest person to hold the office, aged nearly 86.
Duties and competences
The president of the Republic appoints the prime minister. He terminates his functions.
The prime minister is the head of the Government. He directs the action of the Government and coordinates the functions of the other members. He presides over the Committees of Defense. He substitutes for, the case arising, the president of the Republic in the presidency of the Councils provided for in Articles 66 and 72 of this Constitution. He assures the interim of the head of the State in case of incapacity for cause of illness or of absence from the national territory.
Before his entry into office, the prime minister presents before the National Assembly the program of action of his Government.
He may delegate certain of his powers to the ministers.
List of officeholders
;Political parties
;Other factions
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2| Portrait
! rowspan=2| Name<br />
! colspan=3| Term of office
! colspan=2 rowspan=2| Political party
! rowspan=2| Elected
! rowspan=2| Government
! rowspan=2| President(s)
! rowspan=2|
|-
! Took office
! Left office
! Time in office
|-
! colspan=12| Prime Minister (; 1960–2025)
|-
| 1
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Sylvanus Olympio<br />
| 1960
| 1961
|
! style="background:;" |
| Party of Togolese Unity
| –
|
| Himself
|
|-
| colspan="12" |Post abolished (12 April 1961 – 27 August 1991)
|-
| 2
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Joseph Kokou Koffigoh<br />
| 1991
| 1994
|
! style="background:;" |
| Coordination of New Forces
| –
| Koffigoh II
| rowspan=7|Eyadéma
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 3
| rowspan=2| frameless|upright=0.3
| rowspan=2| Edem Kodjo<br />
| rowspan=2| 1994
| rowspan=2| 1996
| rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2 style="background:Yellow;" |
| rowspan=2| Togolese Union for Democracy
| 1994
| Kodjo I
| rowspan=2|
|-
| –
| Kodjo II
|-
| 4
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Kwassi Klutse<br />
| 1996
| 1999
|
! style="background:;" |
| Rally of the Togolese People
| –
| Klutse
|
|-
| 5
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Eugène Koffi Adoboli<br />
| 1999
| 2000
|
! style="background:;" |
| Rally of the Togolese People
| 1999
| Adoboli
|
|-
| 6
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Agbéyomé Kodjo<br />
| 2000
| 2002
|
! style="background:;" |
| Rally of the Togolese People
| –
| A. Kodjo
|
|-
| rowspan=4| 7
| rowspan=4| frameless|upright=0.3
| rowspan=4| Koffi Sama<br />
| rowspan=4| 2002
| rowspan=4| 2005
| rowspan=4|
! rowspan=4 style="background:;" |
| rowspan=4| Rally of the Togolese People
| 2002
|
| rowspan=4|
|-
| –
|
| Gnassingbé
|-
| rowspan=2| –
| rowspan=2|
| Abass
|-
| rowspan=13|Gnassingbé
|-
| (3)
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Edem Kodjo<br />
| 2005
| 2006
|
! style="background:;" |
| Pan-African Patriotic Convergence
| –
|
|
|-
| 8
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Yawovi Agboyibo<br />
| 2006
| 2007
|
! style="background:;" |
| Action Committee for Renewal
| –
|
|
|-
| 9
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Komlan Mally<br />
| 2007
| 2008
|
! style="background:;" |
| Rally of the Togolese People
| 2007
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 10
| rowspan=2| frameless|upright=0.3
| rowspan=2| Gilbert Houngbo<br />
| rowspan=2| 2008
| rowspan=2| 2012
| rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2 style="background:;" |
| rowspan=2| Independent
| –
|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| –
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 11
| rowspan=2| frameless|upright=0.3
| rowspan=2| Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu<br />
| rowspan=2| 2012
| rowspan=2| 2015
| rowspan=2|
! style="background:;" |
| Pan-African Patriotic Convergence<br />
| –
|
| rowspan=2|
|-
! style="background:;" |
| Union for the Republic
| 2013
|
|-
| rowspan=2| 12
| rowspan=2| frameless|upright=0.3
| rowspan=2| Komi Sélom Klassou<br />
| rowspan=2| 2015
| rowspan=2| 2020
| rowspan=2|
! rowspan=2 style="background:;" |
| rowspan=2| Union for the Republic
| –
|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| 2018
|
|-
| rowspan=3| 13
| rowspan=3| frameless|upright=0.3
| rowspan=3| Victoire Tomegah Dogbé<br />
| rowspan=3| 2020
| rowspan=3| 2025
| rowspan=3|
! rowspan=3 style="background:;" |
| rowspan=3| Union for the Republic
| –
|
| rowspan=3|
|-
| –
|
|-
| 2024
|
|-
! colspan=12| President of the Council of Ministers (; 2025–present)
|-
| 14
| frameless|upright=0.3
| Faure Gnassingbé<br />
| 2025
| Incumbent
|
! style="background:;" |
| Union for the Republic
| –
|
| Savi de Tové
|
|}
Timeline
See also
- President of Togo
- List of colonial governors of Togo
- Politics of Togo
References
External links
- World Statesmen – Togo
- 1992 Constitution of Togo (as amended in 2007)