Cina Lawson is driving Togo’s digital shift through policy, innovation, and expanded access.
Since her appointment in 2010, Cina Lawson has served as Togo’s Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, playing a central role in the country’s technological advancement. With a career spanning over two decades in telecommunications and digital policy, Lawson previously worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., advising emerging markets on regulatory reforms. Her expertise has informed Togo’s digital agenda over the past decade, during which the country has made significant strides in internet access, mobile connectivity, and digital services.
As the country’s largest telecommunications operator, Togocom provides fixed and mobile services and supports efforts to close the digital divide. The company also plays a part in facilitating digital financial transactions and expanding infrastructure coverage.
Growth in connectivity
When Lawson assumed office, mobile telephony penetration in Togo was at 33%, with mobile internet access under 2%, and mobile money usage largely underdeveloped. By 2021, those figures had increased to about 78%, showing a nationwide shift toward digital engagement. This improvement had greatly improved communication, economic participation, and access to financial services, particularly among underserved communities.
Digital innovation during the pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she championed the launch of Novissi, a digital cash transfer programme designed to provide emergency financial support to informal workers affected by the pandemic. Novissi leveraged technologies such as artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, and mobile metadata to identify and enroll over 920,000 vulnerable citizens, representing nearly a quarter of Togo’s adult population, with 63% of beneficiaries being women.
The programme distributed approximately $34 million in aid digitally. Novissi’s success attracted international awards, including the Woman of the Year award from UC Berkeley’s Fisher Centre for Business Analytics in 2021, and secured a $100 million grant from the World Bank to scale digital social protection to nearly two million citizens.
Beyond emergency relief
In addition to crisis-response efforts, the Ministry led initiatives to digitise public services, including COVID-19 vaccination registration via web platforms and USSD codes. The country also became the first in West Africa to launch 5G services, while also expanding fibre-optic broadband to connect universities and public institutions under her leadership.
Cina Lawson has also supported the development of a national digital identity system and an AI-powered social registry to strengthen social programme delivery and inform public policy. She has also encouraged private-sector investment through public-private partnerships that align with national digital goals.
International recognition
The minister’s contributions have earned her several international accolades. Cina Lawson became the first African female political leader to receive the Harvard Alumni Public Service Award in 2019 and has been recognised by the World Economic Forum, Forbes, and South by Southwest (SXSW) for her work in digital governance and innovation.
As Togo progresses with its digital infrastructure and policy framework, Cina Lawson remains a pivotal figure in driving its growth in the digital economy.
