Togo: Méméssilé Gnazo Appointed ANDF Director-General

• Méméssilé Gnazo was appointed as the first Director-General of Togo's National Land and Property Agency (ANDF) on October 6, 2026.
• The ANDF, established by Decree No. 2025-019 bis/PC, aims to centralize land administration and strengthen property rights across all Togolese regions.
• Gnazo, a notary specializing in property law, will serve a renewable five-year term to operationalize the agency.
• The agency's responsibilities include managing the land registry, issuing land titles, and developing a national land information system.
• The ANDF will also support local governments and plans to open municipal offices to decentralize services and prevent land disputes.

The overarching objective of the ANDF is to serve as the central authority for land administration across Togo, encompassing all rural, peri-urban, and urban areas.

The Council of Ministers in Togo officially approved the appointment of notary Méméssilé Gnazo as the inaugural Director-General of the National Land and Property Agency (ANDF) on October 6, 2026. This significant decision places Gnazo, a seasoned Lomé-based notary with expertise in property law and real estate transactions, at the helm of the newly operational agency. Her primary mandate is to guide the ANDF through its initial phases, ensuring its full operationalization. The agency itself was established a year prior to this pivotal appointment, underscoring a deliberate move by the Togolese government to overhaul its land administration framework. Gnazo is set to serve a renewable five-year term, indicating a long-term commitment to her leadership in this critical reform.

The National Land and Property Agency (ANDF) was formally instituted through Decree No. 2025-019 bis/PC, issued on September 18, 2025. This decree established the ANDF as a public technical and scientific institution, endowed with its own legal personality, as well as administrative and financial autonomy. Its operational oversight is divided between two key government bodies: the ministry responsible for land and property affairs provides technical supervision, while the ministry responsible for finance exercises financial oversight. The overarching objective of the ANDF is to serve as the central authority for land administration across Togo, encompassing all rural, peri-urban, and urban areas. This centralization is a cornerstone of the nation's broader efforts to strengthen property rights and streamline land management processes. A 13-member governing council, chaired by a representative from the Finance Ministry, is tasked with overseeing the agency's strategic direction and operations.

The comprehensive responsibilities of the ANDF are designed to address various facets of land management. These include the meticulous management of the national land registry, the crucial task of confirming property rights, and the issuance of official land titles. Furthermore, the agency is charged with the administration of state-owned land and the development of a unified national land information system, which will be vital for transparency and efficiency. Beyond these core functions, the ANDF is mandated to provide support to local governments in effectively managing their respective property holdings. A key aspect of its mission involves actively working to prevent land disputes, thereby fostering greater stability and security in property ownership. To ensure accessibility and bring land administration services closer to the populace, the establishment of municipal offices is a planned component of the ANDF's operational strategy.

Lawyers practicing property law or real estate in Togo must now engage with the newly operational National Land and Property Agency (ANDF) for land registry, titling, and property rights matters, requiring familiarity with its procedures and potential impact on client transactions and dispute resolution.

Source: Information derived from official reports.