South–South Cooperation in Action: CAFRAD and Togo Strengthen Their Cooperation for the Transformation of African Public Administrations
South–South Cooperation in Action: CAFRAD and Togo Strengthen Their Cooperation for the Transformation of African Public Administrations
As part of the implementation of its strategic vision aimed at positioning the African Training and Research Centre in Administration for Development (CAFRAD) as a leading actor in the comprehensive, digital, and intelligent transformation of African public administrations, the Director General of CAFRAD, Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, was received in audience on Thursday, 8 January 2026, in Rabat, by His Excellency Messan Amakoé KLUTSE, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the Embassy of the Togolese Republic to the Kingdom of Morocco.
A Meeting with Clearly Defined Objectives
This meeting forms part of the pedagogical and diplomatic outreach tour undertaken by the new Director General with the diplomatic representations of CAFRAD Member States in Rabat. Its objective is to assess, with each Member State, the balance sheet of the first year of the Director General’s mandate at the helm of the pan-African intergovernmental organization, to gather Member States’ expectations, and to mobilize new commitments for the 2025–2026 period, which the 60th Ordinary Session of the CAFRAD Board of Directors declared as the year of institutional transition and transformation for CAFRAD.
The 60th Session of the CAFRAD Board of Directors, held on 16 July 2025 at CAFRAD headquarters in Rabat, approved the eight (8) decisions proposed by the Director General. This approval, symbolizing the renewal of confidence of the Organization’s supreme governing body in the Director General, authorizes him to undertake a comprehensive reform of the Organization with a view to making it more useful, more effective, and more attractive to Member States. CAFRAD must be equipped with the necessary means and tools to respond effectively to the expectations of Member States and to contribute to the construction of “the Africa we want.” It is therefore essential for the Director General to establish close, sincere, transparent, and regular collaboration with Member States through their diplomatic representations in Rabat. Indeed, he is convinced that participatory and collaborative management, collective intelligence, and democratic, strategic, and agile leadership constitute solid levers for achieving collective objectives.
Concerned with Member State satisfaction, and having anchored his mandate in listening, proximity, service to Member States, and accountability, Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, after one year in office, decided to further engage directly with his principals in order to assess achievements and evaluate the relevance of the approaches adopted. The objective is not only to strengthen Member States’ ownership of the ambitious roadmap he is carrying for the pan-African intergovernmental organization—responsible for training, research and development, benchmarking, publication, and strategic advisory services on contemporary and postmodern public action issues—but above all to develop new consensus-based approaches enabling Member States to participate more effectively in CAFRAD’s activities and to meet their financial contribution obligations to the Organization’s budget.
Productive Discussions
Following cordial exchanges of customary courtesies and New Year 2026 greetings, the two officials focused their discussions on achievements, challenges, and new approaches to be deployed by CAFRAD in order to enhance its value and strategically reposition it as an African center of excellence in capacity development, administrative expertise, public governance, and the promotion of South–South cooperation.
In terms of achievements, the Director General presented a detailed overview of the main activities carried out over the past year, as well as ongoing programs and future prospects, particularly in the areas of degree-awarding training programs aligned with global challenges, public administration modernization, results-based governance, and institutional transformation.
In this context, he recalled Togo’s active role in the dynamics of pan-African cooperation, notably materialized through the diplomatic colloquium held in June 2025 in Rabat, organized in partnership with CAFRAD to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Morocco–Togo relations. This event aimed to strengthen South–South cooperation and highlight collaboration between the two countries in the areas of development and training in Africa.
On this occasion, Dr. ASSOUVI reiterated his sincere gratitude to the Togolese Republic for its constant commitment, active contribution to CAFRAD’s actions, and willingness to continue supporting the Organization. He outlined CAFRAD’s expectations vis-à-vis Togo, as a Member State, particularly regarding the appropriation of the Organization’s programs and the hosting of training activities, specialized forums, and structuring projects.
Regarding challenges, the pan-African intergovernmental organization must not only transform itself to meet Member States’ expectations but must also, and above all, secure the human and financial resources necessary to implement high value-added activities.
Concerning new approaches, His Excellency Mr. KLUTSE proposed a targeted approach whereby CAFRAD would request a Member State to host a CAFRAD activity on its territory and assume full financial responsibility for it.
He praised the ambitious vision carried by the Director General and expressed the full willingness of the Togolese authorities to support CAFRAD, emphasizing its central role in promoting good governance, modernizing public administrations, and strengthening the capacities of senior African civil servants. He stressed the need for stronger ownership of CAFRAD by its Member States, which is an essential condition for enhancing its impact and visibility at the continental level.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this audience illustrates the convergence of views between CAFRAD and the Togolese Republic around the redefinition of a renewed strategy for governance, training, and skills development in Africa. It reaffirms CAFRAD’s determination to consolidate its positioning as a reference pan-African institution serving innovative, effective, and forward-looking public action, while highlighting the tangible success of its partnerships with Member States, as exemplified by the successful cooperation with Togo.
CAFRAD-TOGO partnership : links to articles
CAFRAD DELEGATION VISITS THE EMBASSY OF TOGO IN THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO IN RABAT
Activity of the Embassy of TOGO organized at CAFRAD headquarters: