Albert Kuzor writes: My recent trip to Togo and why ECOWAS must sit up

My recent trip to Togo and the need for ECOWAS to take action on cross-border travel

This is not the first time the reporter has visited Togo, but this particular journey left them more frustrated than previous trips. Togo's relationship with Ghana across the Ghana-Togo border is deep and historic, with many people having familial and cultural ties. However, my recent experiences with ECOWAS' protocols on free movement have raised serious questions about their implementation at Ghana's eastern border.

During my first trip to Togo in 2022, I encountered difficulties at the border. At the checkpoint at George Kofe, Togolese military personnel demanded CFA1,000 before allowing us to proceed. Even with a valid Ghanaian passport, my father and one of my siblings had to pay a fee for their ECOWAS identification cards. This experience was repeated in 2024 and 2025, with similar demands for payments at various checkpoints.

The officers often cited visas and other requirements, but the reporter could not understand how as citizens of ECOWAS member states, they were repeatedly asked to pay to cross into another member country.

The reporter tried using a private vehicle and a taxi in 2024, hoping it would make a difference. It did not. In 2025, they were advised to use the Kpedze route to avoid some challenges, but this only led to further frustrations at the Honuta border crossing. The officers at Eklo demanded CFA1,000 from each of them, even when the reporter tried to explain the principles of ECOWAS free movement.

Last weekend's trip to Togo for a funeral was the most recent experience, with the same pattern of repeated stops and demands for payments at checkpoints. The officers eventually allowed the reporter to proceed, but only after identifying themselves and providing their workplace identification card. The reporter's journey to Europe involved inspections at various checkpoints, further highlighting the challenges faced by citizens of ECOWAS member states when crossing borders.