Togo’s Capital City Lomé Lacks Adequate Fire Protection

Togo has faced numerous fires in recent years, affecting several cities, with the capital city Lomé being particularly vulnerable. Despite being the country’s showcase, Lomé has only one fire station, which is inadequately equipped to handle large-scale fires.

The city of Lomé continues to expand, with several dozen peripheral areas added to the city center. However, all 7 communes, including Baguida, Aflao Sagbado, Bè, Aflao Gakli, and others, rely on a single fire station located west of the city center in the Nyékonakpoè area.

The inadequacy of this structure was exposed during the 2013 fires that ravaged the large market of Lomé. The intervention of firefighters from neighboring Ghana was necessary to bring the disaster under control.

A Decade of Inaction

More than 10 years after the 2013 fires, the Togolese government has failed to address the issue, despite the occurrence of several other fires in the capital. The lack of action has resulted in an extraordinary deficit, putting private and public homes and businesses at risk.

The recent fires at the market of Kégué and the Autonomous Port of Lomé have highlighted the need for modern equipment and additional fire stations. However, there appears to be no plan in place to provide each of Lomé’s 7 communes with a fire station equipped with modern equipment.

A Lack of Foresight

The lack of foresight in addressing the fire protection issue is characteristic of Faure Gnassingbe’s regime, which has been in power for almost two decades. Effective governance requires planning, and the absence of such planning has put the country at risk.

Source: alternative.info