Every year, thousands of young Togolese people finish their studies asking themselves the same question: should they stay in Togo and try their luck in the limited job market, or leave – temporarily or permanently – to seek opportunities abroad? This dilemma has significant consequences for individuals, families, the economy and national development.

Togo’s indicators clearly reflect a migration trend: the overall migration balance remains negative, indicating that more people are leaving the country than entering it. Furthermore, the government estimates that nearly one million Togolese people are currently living abroad, which highlights the scale of departures that have occurred over several decades.

Why do young graduates consider leaving?

Several factors push young graduates to consider migration. Many leave university or school without clear prospects, due to limited public sector jobs, a largely informal private sector and difficulty securing decent employment with a degree. Results from the Afrobarometer survey, published in April 2025, show that Togolese people considering emigration primarily cite economic reasons.

The largest proportion of respondents (43%), cite the search for a job or better employment opportunities as the main reason.

Other economic factors that complement this motivation include economic hardship (26%), poverty/misery (18%) and seeking better business opportunities (7%). 

These four economic reasons together represent the vast majority of motivations cited by people who have considered emigrating.

The desire to leave the country is particularly prevalent among Togolese people seeking employment (64%) as well as among the youngest and most educated groups.

Costs of leaving: What graduates lose and gain

There are clear advantages to leaving, such as higher salaries, additional training, international experience and the ability to send remittances. These gains can also benefit the home country if skills and capital are returned, either temporarily or through investment.

However, there are also significant costs, including brain drain in key sectors such as health, engineering and education, family disruption and the risk of permanent settlement abroad. This could result in a loss of productive capacity for Togo. The World Health Organization and other studies indicate that the emigration abroad of health professionals poses a significant challenge to several African countries.

What challenges do those who choose to build their careers in Togo face?

Young graduates who choose to stay face several everyday challenges, including a dominant informal market, difficulty accessing credit for entrepreneurship, a lack of internships and structured job opportunities, and sometimes low salaries. However, staying can also be a strategic decision, involving setting up businesses, participating in the digital economy and exploiting niche sectors such as agrobusiness, digital services and local value chains, as well as engaging with civil society and public administration.

Although co-working spaces, incubators and professional training programmes are beginning to offer alternatives, they often remain localised and are unable to accommodate all graduates.

Factors influencing individual decisions

The decision to leave or stay is not purely economic. It also depends on the presence of a diaspora, financial support and mobility opportunities in certain fields, such as healthcare, IT, and international trade. The decision is also influenced by regulations and legal pathways, such as visas and temporary work agreements, as well as by risks and perceptions, such as the fear of exploitation abroad or pessimism about local job prospects.

Young people often consider ‘mixed’ migration trajectories: leaving to acquire skills and resources, with the intention of returning at a later date (known as ‘circular migration’), or leaving permanently if the conditions for returning are deemed poor.

Recommendations to reverse or redirect the flow

There are several ways to make staying more attractive, or at least ensure that those who leave do so in a way that benefits the country. Our main recommendation to the Togolese government is to address the root causes of emigration. Togo must confront its deep economic challenges and create opportunities for the younger generation.

As long as these issues remain unresolved, emigration, particularly of the most qualified individuals, will continue. The departure of the youngest and most educated people is particularly pronounced. If this trend of young, skilled people leaving persists, it could create a vicious cycle of brain drain, further degrading living conditions for the population.

This is essential, as the majority of Togolese people considering emigration do so for economic reasons, such as searching for employment or better opportunities or due to economic difficulties and poverty. It is also necessary to leverage the diaspora by encouraging investment through mechanisms such as funds, dedicated windows and tax incentives, as well as structured return programmes.

The World Health Organization’s report, “Migration of Health professionals in six countries: a synthesis report”, recommends specific plans to retain health and education staff, such as improving working conditions, offering differentiated salaries and providing non-financial incentives. 

The “leave or stay” dilemma faced by young Togolese graduates reflects a structural imbalance: a pool of talent confronted with a market offering insufficient attractive, formal opportunities. Public policies could reduce unwanted departures and transform migration into a mutually beneficial exchange, such as circular mobility and diaspora investments. Most importantly, they could create an environment in which staying becomes a viable and rewarding option.