Faure Gnassingbe, Togo’s President named the first ever female prime minister, Victoire Tomegah Dogbe to head the government in the West African nation on Monday.
The 60 year old woman who had served as a chief of staff since 2009 replaced Komi Selom Klassou who resigned on Friday. She joined the government for the first time in September 2008, when she was not politically known, as Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of grassroots development.
She quickly took off in May 2009, Victoir Tomegah Dogbe was appointed Director of Cabinet of the President of the Republic, a position she held concurrently with that of the Minister of Grassroots Development, Handicrafts, Youth Employment and Youth until her appointment at the head of the primacy.
Victoire Tomégah Dobe is the first woman in the history of Togo to occupy this position; her main mission, in this period of Covid-19, will be the readjustment of the national development plan, the main project of the 4th mandate of Faure Gnassingbé.
The corona virus pandemic delayed the government reshuffle since Gnassingbe was reelected in February for a fourth term in office. The president’s election win, which came after a constitutional change allowing him to run, extended more than a half-century of dynastic rule by the Gnassingbe family over the former French colony.
The president has led the country of eight million people since taking over in 2005 following the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled for 38 years.
Togo’s economy has been hit by the pandemic as the authorities have imposed restrictions to limit the spread of the virus.