Supporting Multistakeholder Internet Public Policy Dialogue in a Least Developed Country: The Togo Experience

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the process of establishing a multistakeholder Internet public policy dialogue in Togo. It details the country's ICT landscape, the methodology used for public consultations between 2010 and 2011, and the resulting policy needs, emphasizing the gap between infrastructure growth and the lack of formal national ICT policy.

• Togo has historically lacked a formal national ICT policy due to an unstable political climate, though recent efforts have produced draft documents including a Draft Bill on Electronic Communication and a Technology Strategy for the Promotion of Information and Communication Technology 2011–2015.
• Internet penetration in Togo is among the lowest in Africa, with only 5.4% of the population (approximately 324,000 users) having access. Access is heavily centralized in urban cyber cafes, as household computer and Internet penetration rates are only 3% and 1% per 100 inhabitants, respectively.
• While mobile cellular subscriptions grew significantly from 6 to nearly 40 per 100 inhabitants between 2004 and 2010, mobile broadband remains largely unavailable or unaffordable for the 62% of the population living below the national poverty line.
• Public surveys indicate that affordable, high-quality Internet access and online trust/security are the highest priority concerns for Togolese stakeholders, with over 94% expressing concern for online privacy and security.
• There is a significant gap in digital literacy and public education regarding the Internet's role in sustainable development, particularly among youth under 18 and those in primary and secondary education who were absent from policy surveys.
• Togolese stakeholders express a strong desire for a multistakeholder policy-making forum, with over 96% supporting a mechanism for dialogue, preferably as a public advisory committee or open forum where the government acts as a coordinator rather than a final decision-maker.
• Despite a lack of local legal frameworks for personal data protection, approximately 72% of survey respondents are ready to transact business online, and nearly 90% believe they can generate revenue from the Internet.
• The report identifies a critical opportunity to leverage ICTs to improve the efficiency and sustainability of Togo's primary economic drivers, specifically the phosphate mining and agricultural sectors.

APA

Akoh, B. (2012). Supporting Multistakeholder Internet Public Policy Dialogue in a Least Developed Country: The Togo Experience. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/internet_policy_dialogue_togo.pdf

Chicago

Akoh, Ben. Supporting Multistakeholder Internet Public Policy Dialogue in a Least Developed Country: The Togo Experience. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/internet_policy_dialogue_togo.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Akoh |first1=Ben |title=Supporting Multistakeholder Internet Public Policy Dialogue in a Least Developed Country: The Togo Experience |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=July 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/internet_policy_dialogue_togo.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{akoh2012supporting, author = {Akoh, Ben}, title = {{Supporting Multistakeholder Internet Public Policy Dialogue in a Least Developed Country: The Togo Experience}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/internet_policy_dialogue_togo.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }