LOMÉ, 10 June 2026 — On Tuesday, 9 June 2026, the National Assembly of Togo approved four bills designed to strengthen nuclear safety and radiological risk management. The decision, taken during the third plenary session of the first ordinary session of the year, marks a major step in harmonising Togolese legislation with international standards.
Chaired by the Speaker of the Assembly, H.E. Prof. Komi Selom Klassou, the session welcomed Robert Koffi Messan Eklo, the minister delegate for Energy. Deputies validated in first reading the texts enabling Togo to accede to four international conventions: the Convention on Nuclear Safety (Vienna, 1994), the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management (1997), the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident (1986), and the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency (1986).
The underlying goal is to equip the state with a robust regulatory shield to oversee scientific activities, prevent contamination risks, and ensure strict compliance with safety protocols.
A stronger multilateral anchor through four conventions
“Nuclear energy is a future-oriented energy source, useful in several strategic sectors: electricity generation, healthcare, industrialisation, agriculture, and livestock,” recalled Aklesso Atcholi, president of the UNIR party. “But it is essential to establish and maintain a high level of safety to protect people, property, and the environment.”
While radiological technologies offer major development prospects — notably in medical treatment or agricultural optimisation — their environmental implications demand constant vigilance. Consequently, by ratifying these conventions, Togo not only improves its endogenous anticipation capacities but also secures access to international mechanisms for mutual assistance and real-time information sharing in case of a crisis.
“These bills reflect a coherent approach: we are not only choosing a future-oriented energy source; we are choosing the highest accompanying safety standards,” Minister Eklo stated. “Ratifying these texts sends a strong signal to the international community: Togo is a modern, responsible, and rigorous state.”
Balancing technological progress with safety imperatives
For the Speaker of the National Assembly, Prof. Komi Selom Klassou, this reform enshrines a doctrine of collective responsibility in the face of cross-border crises.
“Informed by the tragic history of Chernobyl, Togo is convinced that facing risks of such magnitude, no state can act alone,” he argued, framing these texts within a comprehensive vision of population protection and peaceful diplomacy.
In accordance with the functioning of the Togolese parliamentary system, these four bills will be transmitted to the Senate in the coming days for examination under the same terms. Once this step is completed and the laws are promulgated, Togo will complete its institutional transformation, inseparably linking its technological horizon to the requirement of public safety.
