Faure Gnassingbé facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Faure Gnassingbé
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Gnassingbé in 2022
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| President of the Council of Ministers of Togo | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2025 |
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| President | Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové |
| Preceded by | Victoire Tomegah Dogbé |
| 4th President of Togo | |
| In office 4 May 2005 – 3 May 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Koffi Sama Edem Kodjo Yawovi Agboyibo Komlan Mally Gilbert Houngbo Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu Komi Sélom Klassou Victoire Tomegah Dogbé |
| Preceded by | Bonfoh Abass (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové |
| In office 5 February 2005 – 25 February 2005 |
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| Prime Minister | Koffi Sama |
| Preceded by | Gnassingbé Eyadéma |
| Succeeded by | Bonfoh Abass (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 June 1966 Afagnan, Togo |
| Political party | UNIR (2012–present) RPT (1990–2012) |
| Spouse | Ama Kufuor (daughter of Ghana's former president John Kufuor) |
| Relations | Gnassingbé Eyadéma (father) Kpatcha (half-brother) |
| Alma mater | Paris Dauphine University George Washington (MBA) |
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé was born on June 6, 1966. He is a politician from the country of Togo. Since 2025, he has been the President of the Council of Ministers of Togo.
Before this, he served as the fourth president of Togo from 2005 to 2025. His father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, was also a president. Faure Gnassingbé was a minister before he became president. He took on the role of president after his father passed away in 2005.
There were some questions about how he became president at first. However, he later won an election and was officially sworn in. In 2025, his role changed to President of the Council of Ministers. This happened after the presidency became more of a ceremonial position.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé was born in Afagnan, Togo. He is from the Kabye people and is one of many children of former President Gnassingbé Eyadéma. His mother's name is Séna Sabine Mensah.
He went to high school in Lomé, the capital city of Togo. After that, he studied in Paris, France, at the Université Paris-Dauphine. There, he earned a degree in financial business management. He then went on to get a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from The George Washington University in the United States.
In 2002, he was elected to the National Assembly of Togo, which is like the country's parliament. He represented the area of Blitta. In the National Assembly, he helped with a group that worked on making government-owned businesses private. In 2003, he became the Minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts, and Telecommunications. He held this job until he became president in 2005.
Some people believed that a change to the constitution in 2002 was made to help Faure Gnassingbé. This change lowered the minimum age to be president from 45 to 35 years old. His appointment as a minister in 2003 also made people think he might become his father's successor.
Becoming President (2005–2025)
Taking Power in 2005
President Eyadéma passed away suddenly on February 5, 2005. According to Togo's constitution, the head of the National Assembly should become acting president if the president dies. However, the head of the National Assembly, Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba, was out of the country. So, Faure Gnassingbé was quickly sworn in as acting president to keep the country stable.
Many people thought the army supported Gnassingbé taking power. The African Union, a group of African countries, said that Gnassingbé's quick rise to power was like a military takeover.
A day after his father's death, the National Assembly removed Natchaba from his position and elected Gnassingbé instead. This happened on February 6, 2005. Almost all the members of the National Assembly were from the ruling party and approved this change. The opposition parties were not in the National Assembly at that time. The parliament also changed the constitution so that elections did not have to be held within 60 days. This meant Gnassingbé could stay in office until his father's term would have ended in 2008.
Other countries in the region, especially Nigeria, put pressure on Togo. In February 2005, Gnassingbé announced that new elections would be held within 60 days. He said he would stay in office until then. However, on February 21, the National Assembly changed some of the constitutional rules back. This was seen as a way to encourage him to step down.
On February 25, Gnassingbé was chosen as the presidential candidate for the ruling party. He also became the head of the party. Soon after, he said he would step down as president for a short time. Bonfoh Abass was appointed by the National Assembly to be acting president until the election on April 24, 2005. Some people believed Bonfoh Abass was influenced by the military and the Gnassingbé family.
Gnassingbé ran against the main opposition candidate, Emmanuel Bob-Akitani. Another important opposition leader, Gilchrist Olympio, could not run. This was because the constitution required candidates to have lived in Togo for at least 12 months. Olympio had been living outside the country.
In the election, official results showed Gnassingbé won with just over 60% of the votes. However, the ruling party did not allow others to watch the counting of votes. Groups like the European Union and the Carter Center said the elections were not fair. There were many protests by opposition groups. Many people left Togo and went to neighboring countries like Benin and Ghana.
Later Elections and Terms
Gnassingbé was re-elected for a second term in 2010. In the April 2015 presidential election, he won a third term. Official results showed he received about 59% of the votes. His main challenger, Jean-Pierre Fabre, got about 35%.
In the February 2020 presidential elections, Gnassingbé won his fourth term as president. According to official results, he won with about 72% of the votes. He defeated his closest challenger, former prime minister Agbeyome Kodjo, who had 18%. The fairness of elections in Togo has often been questioned.
Developing the Economy
President Gnassingbé has worked to improve Togo's economy of Togo. He helped get money for building projects, like the National Road No. 2. He also worked on rebuilding the country's infrastructure. For example, the Togblécopé and Amakpapé bridges were completed. He has an agenda to develop the country, which he announced in Belgium.
Protests and Term Limits
In 2019, the Parliament of Togo approved a new law. This law allowed Gnassingbé to stay in office until 2030. Despite this, many protests took place in the streets. People called for an end to the family's rule, which had lasted for over 50 years.
International Relations
Faure Gnassingbé has met with leaders from other countries. In 2013, he met with Fra’ Matthew Festing, who was the head of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. They discussed humanitarian efforts and Togo's contributions to helping people.
In 2010, the Prime Minister of Japan, Yukio Hatoyama, congratulated Gnassingbé on winning the presidential election that year. In 2023, Gnassingbé met with Fumio Kishida at a summit between Japan and Togo. Kishida thanked Gnassingbé for attending the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In 2025, the African Union chose Gnassingbé to help solve a conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He took over this role from Angolan president João Lourenço.
President of the Council of Ministers (2025–present)
In 2024, Togo's parliament approved changes to the country's constitution. These changes turned Togo's presidential system into a parliamentary republic. In this new system, the President of the Council of Ministers became the most powerful position in the government. This new form of government was called the Fifth Republic of Togo.
On May 3, 2025, Faure Gnassingbé was sworn in as President of the Council of Ministers. Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové was elected by the parliament to become the new President of the Republic. Under the new system, the President of the Republic has a more ceremonial role.
See also
In Spanish: Faure Gnassingbé para niños
- History of Togo
- Politics of Togo
