Togo officially opens land borders after two years

Migrants and petty traders can now move freely between Ghana and Togo after the opening of the Togo side of the border.

The border was opened at midnight on Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

For the past two years, some countries within the subregion have closed land borders in a desperate quest to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The development took a severe toll on border communities whose businesses had to come to a standstill.

Citi News’ visit to the border during its closure revealed that many migrants were forced to pay monies to some middle-men who in some cases connived with border authorities to use unapproved routes to move between Ghana and Togo.

Residents at the Ghana side of the border demonstrated their displeasure against the government’s unwillingness to open the borders.

The President of Ghana, Nana Addo opened Ghana’s land borders in March 2022.

In a statement, the Togolese government said it is effectively opening the land borders to allow free flow of traffic.

Reacting to the development, the Member of Parliament for Ketu South Constituency described the border opening on both sides as “a great relief for the people”.

She urged those crossing the border to carry along their national identity cards and Covid vaccination cards in order to make the process seamless for border officials.