In Togo, “a Partnership Rooted in Innovation, Evidence and Shared Learning”

Over the past five years, CEGA and the government of Togo have built a remarkable — and highly productive — partnership based on data science. The partnership helped provide benefits to the people of the West African nation during the Covid pandemic in 2020, and today, an ambitious project based on satellite imaging and artificial intelligence is working to support improved productivity on Togolese farms.

At the center of this relationship has been Cina Lawson, Togo’s Minister of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation. Under Lawson’s guidance, Togo has emerged as a pioneer in digital power for economic and social advancement.

Togo was the first country in West Africa to deploy 5G cellular network technology. It launched Novissi, a groundbreaking digital cash transfer program that provided emergency assistance during Covid. Lawson co-leads the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on GovTech and Digital Public Infrastructure. Today, Togo’s influence extends to other countries in Africa, and beyond.

Lawson is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris and the Harvard Kennedy School, and she brings more than two decades of experience in digital policy and innovation. Earlier this year, she was named Commandeur of the Ordre National du Mono, Togo’s highest civilian honor. Her work has also been recognized by Forbes, SXSW, and Harvard University, where she received the Alumni Public Service Award.

Working with CEGA and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Digital Transformation in Togo, Edward Lempinen of UC Berkeley News recently interviewed Minister Lawson. Below, Lawson reflects on Togo’s data-driven response to the Covid-19 crisis, the evolution of its partnership with CEGA, and her vision for the future of data science, AI and digital sovereignty in Africa.

Edward Lempinen: I’m interested to know how the relationship between Togo and CEGA at UC Berkeley took shape.

Minister Cina Lawson: The relationship between Togo and CEGA began during an unprecedented crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to act quickly to support our most vulnerable populations affected by lockdown measures. Within just 10 days, our teams developed Novissi, a digital cash transfer platform to deliver assistance remotely and at scale.

In the absence of a national social registry, we used our biometric ID system to identify potential beneficiaries. But we wanted to go further, to ensure that aid reached those who needed it most. We reached out to Esther Duflo, Nobel Prize laureate in economics and a leading expert on poverty alleviation, for guidance. She encouraged us to work with the team at UC Berkeley, particularly CEGA, known for their expertise in artificial intelligence and rigorous impact evaluation.

That was the beginning of our collaboration. CEGA helped us design machine learning models to improve the targeting of beneficiaries, and GiveDirectly provided the funding to deliver aid to those identified by the AI models — around 15% of the 920,000 total beneficiaries, representing nearly $10 million in transfers. What started as a data-driven emergency response has grown into a long-term partnership rooted in innovation, evidence, and shared learning.

Building on the success of Novissi, we launched a new national social protection program that expands the AI-powered targeting model to reach 1.24 million people by 2029, with a focus on breaking intergenerational poverty (ASTRE). This new social protection relies on key infrastructure including a national biometric ID system, a dynamic social registry using AI, and an interoperable digital payment platform. This is a real demonstration of the impact of our collaboration with CEGA.

But Togo is moving into other sectors with these tools, isn’t it?

Building on the success of Novissi and the foundations laid by our work with CEGA, we recognized the transformative potential of applying AI and satellite data beyond emergency response and social protection. We saw the need for a dedicated structure within government to harness these technologies systematically — to inform not only cash transfers, but broader public policy in sectors such as agriculture, electrification, and environmental monitoring.

This vision gave birth to the Togo Data Lab, an innovation unit tasked with supporting data-driven decision-making in the public sector. Togo Data Lab was established in collaboration with CEGA and with the support of local and international partners. It institutionalizes the data science and impact evaluation capacities we developed during the pandemic and provides a platform for ongoing experimentation, applied research and capacity building within the state.

At its core, Togo Data Lab reflects our ambition to embed scientific rigor and technological innovation at the heart of governance. From using satellite imagery to identify unelectrified communities, to supporting ministries with predictive models and operational dashboards, the lab continues to expand the frontier of what’s possible for digital public policy in Africa — with CEGA as a trusted partner in that journey.

As the Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, how do you envision data science serving Togo and the people of Togo?

Data science is transforming how we govern, serve, and empower our citizens. In Togo, we’ve already seen its impact through initiatives like Novissi, our emergency cash transfer program.

This experience laid the foundation for our broader vision: to embed data science and artificial intelligence into the very fabric of our public policy. We are now developing a National AI Strategy to expand on this work.

We see data science as a strategic tool for advancing inclusive and evidence-based public policy. Across multiple sectors, we are putting data to work to improve how services are delivered and how development efforts are targeted.

For example, in the energy sector, data science has helped us map households closest to the electricity grid and better plan low-cost connections through the national electrification program. We’re also using spatial data to guide the expansion of public lighting networks, identifying where new installations will have the greatest impact on safety and economic activity.

In education, we’ve leveraged data to measure classroom overcrowding and plan targeted investments in school infrastructure, helping to improve learning conditions and reduce dropout rates. In health, we’ve leveraged geospatial data to identify gaps in access to primary care across the country. By analyzing population distribution and existing infrastructure, we used optimization algorithms to pinpoint priority areas where new health centers would significantly reduce access barriers. This data-driven approach ensures a more equitable deployment of health services, so that no community is left behind.

All of this is made possible thanks to the Geoportal of the Togolese Republic, our national spatial data infrastructure. Beyond infrastructure, we are also applying data science to digital policy initiatives—such as AI tutoring programs in schools, broadband expansion planning, strengthening our health system by supporting frontline workers with GenAI tools, and supporting farmers with predictive analytics that anticipate crop yields and guide agricultural policy.

How do you see CEGA contributing to that initiative?

To build long-term capacity, we’ve partnered with CEGA to create our Data Lab, a space for experimentation, training and collaboration. Most importantly, a growing community of Togolese data scientists is emerging — ready not only to support national priorities, but also to inspire and influence best practices across the continent.

Within the Data Lab, CEGA brings not only deep technical expertise but also a strong culture of rigorous, evidence-based policy collaboration. What makes this partnership so valuable is that CEGA doesn’t come in with answers — they come with questions and methods that help us co-create solutions grounded in local realities.

Whether it’s through capacity building or support for our growing community of data scientists, CEGA is helping us build the infrastructure — human and institutional — for long-term, sovereign data innovation in Togo.

So often, people and policymakers in higher-income countries assume that relationships with African countries will be based on agriculture or health, or on extractive industries. Should it be a surprise that the relationship between Togo and UC Berkeley / CEGA is based on data science?

Not at all — and perhaps the real surprise is that it took this long.

Africa has been viewed primarily through the lens of sectoral need: agriculture, health, energy, extractives. But data is not a sector — it is a foundation. It cuts across all domains and enables smarter, faster and more equitable decision-making. In Togo, we are using data science to improve how we allocate teachers, deploy street lighting, electrify rural households and target financial aid to the most vulnerable. These are not isolated pilots — they’re systemic transformations powered by data.

Too often, Africa’s relationship with the West has been shaped by extractive industries and resource capture, where wealth generated by natural resources flows out of the continent rather than fueling local development. Many African countries remain overly dependent on these raw materials, which leaves them vulnerable to external shocks and perpetuates economic inequality.

Togo is different. We do not have vast extractive industries or abundant natural resources to rely on. Our greatest asset is our human capital — the creativity, talent and energy of our people. That’s why our vision is to become a regional digital innovation hub. Instead of exporting raw materials, we want to export innovation, technology and expertise.

How does data science figure in?

Data science sits at the heart of this vision. It’s not just a technical tool — it’s a strategic asset that allows us to build smarter cities, improve education, optimize energy use, and deliver better healthcare. Through partnerships with CEGA and UC Berkeley, we are building local capacity in data science, empowering Togolese experts to lead their own projects and solve their own problems, on their own terms.

That’s why our partnership with CEGA and UC Berkeley makes so much sense. It reflects a new paradigm — one where African countries are not just recipients of aid or projects, but partners in designing and testing tools that are scalable and globally relevant. Data science gives us the ability to act with precision, to monitor impact in real time, and to constantly improve how we serve citizens. This is not just about digital innovation — it’s about governance, accountability and sovereignty.

So no, it shouldn’t be a surprise. It should be the new normal — a model where research institutions and governments work hand-in-hand, not to extract resources, but to unlock human potential through evidence, technology and shared knowledge.

This collaboration is built on mutual respect and technical excellence, not on outdated models of donor-recipient dynamics. It signals a new kind of relationship — one where African countries are not just recipients of external solutions, but co-creators of knowledge and innovation. That our partnership is centered on data science is not only timely, it’s emblematic of the direction we believe Africa is headed.

Today, our national data lab employs over 20 Togolese data scientists, including talents we’ve attracted back from the diaspora. All the tools and analytical models we use — from geospatial planning for electrification to AI-enabled education pilots — are developed locally by Togolese experts. CEGA plays a crucial role by offering cutting-edge capacity building and supporting our teams through MOSAIKS, a collaborative platform that helps translate data into real-time, policy-relevant insights.

In the past, even well-meaning relationships with African nations sometimes were characterized by a degree of paternalism among Western partners. The CEGA partnership with Togo aspires to be different. Can you share your sense of that?

You’re right to raise that point — and it’s something we’ve been very intentional about. In the past, too many partnerships with African governments have followed a top-down model, where expertise is assumed to come from outside, and local voices are marginalized. That approach is not only outdated, but also ineffective — and frankly, it’s no longer acceptable.

What makes our collaboration with CEGA different is that it is truly grounded in mutual respect and co-creation. From the onset, our teams have been in the driver’s seat — defining the policy questions, shaping the use cases, and developing the tools. CEGA has never positioned itself as the “solution provider,” but rather as a technical partner, helping us build the internal capacity and systems to lead our own data revolution.

Together, we are not just doing research for its own sake — we are solving real problems, with local data, for local needs. Whether it’s planning school infrastructure, optimizing electrification, or deploying AI in education, every step of the process is shaped by Togolese priorities and delivered by Togolese talent.

That shift — from paternalism to partnership — is not just refreshing. It’s necessary. And we believe it’s the only way to create impact that lasts.

If you project out five years, how might the role of data science in Togo evolve?

In five years, we envision data science becoming a foundational pillar of public decision-making in Togo. Already, we are seeing how data-driven insights can help us better plan school construction, target electrification efforts, or deploy health infrastructure — not in abstract terms, but with concrete geospatial analysis and real-time data.

Looking ahead, we aim to institutionalize these practices across ministries, supported by a growing community of Togolese data scientists trained through initiatives like our partnership with CEGA. Our national Data Lab will play a central role in this transformation — serving both as a center of excellence and as a catalyst for applied research and innovation.

We also see data science being increasingly used at the local level, empowering municipalities and regional governments to take more informed, autonomous decisions. And with the rise of AI, we expect to deepen the use of predictive analytics in areas like social protection, education and energy.

Ultimately, our goal is not just to build technical capacity, but to create a culture of evidence-based policy that endures — where decisions are guided by data, aligned with national priorities, and owned by the people they are meant to serve.

What’s your sense of the climate for data science in sub-Saharan Africa right now?

There’s incredible momentum. Many African countries are recognizing that data is not just a technical issue — it’s a strategic asset. One concrete example is the number of countries that are defining their AI and data science strategy are growing.

What’s encouraging is the rise of regional platforms — like Zindi, Data Science Africa, and the AI for Development Africa network — that are helping to bridge gaps in training, community building and access to real-world problems. And we’re seeing more African universities integrate data science into their curricula, which is essential for long-term sustainability.

At the same time, there’s a growing awareness that we must not simply import data science models from elsewhere. The challenges in sub-Saharan Africa are unique — from fragmented datasets to underrepresented populations — and the solutions must be context-aware, locally driven and ethically grounded.

But with the right investments — especially in human capital and open, ethical data governance — data science can become a pillar of Africa’s development model. The key is to ensure that it serves local priorities, not external agendas.

Do you have a sense that Togo’s engagement with data science — and its success and potential success — will have an influence beyond its borders?

We believe Togo’s engagement with data science is already having an impact beyond our borders — and it’s only the beginning. Our approach has been to focus on practical, problem-solving applications of data, rooted in our national priorities but designed to be replicable elsewhere. For example, Novissi has since inspired interest and adaptation in other countries where targeting social support remains a major challenge.

We are also building digital public goods with regional potential, like our national geoportal, which brings together geospatial and administrative data to support evidence-based planning for land use, infrastructure, education and health. It’s open, built with local capacity, and already attracting interest from neighboring governments.

In education, we’ve taken a bold step with the launch of AI-powered tutoring platforms for high school and university students. This initiative, now in its pilot phase, aims to improve access to quality STEM and AI education at scale — and we are designing it with regional replicability in mind, particularly for Francophone Africa.

What gives these efforts staying power is the ecosystem we’re building around them. Through partnerships with global institutions like CEGA, we’ve launched the Togo Data Lab — a platform to train, experiment and co-design data-driven public policy. It serves as a bridge between policymakers, researchers and technologists, ensuring that data science isn’t siloed, but directly connected to impact on the ground.

And perhaps most importantly, we are seeing the emergence of a vibrant, skilled and growing community of Togolese data scientists, both in-country and in the diaspora. They are becoming ambassadors of this vision — contributing to open innovation challenges, driving new use cases in government, and showing that African data talent can shape the future of governance and development.