The symbols of the Togolese Republic
The Flag
The Togolese flag was designed by art professor Ahyi Paul and adopted as the emblem of the Togolese state on the day the country gained independence, April 27, 1960. Its colors are green, yellow, red and white.
The green and yellow form five parallel streaks, the first, third and fifth from the top being green. In the upper left corner there is a colored red square with a white five-pointed star in the middle.
The yellow bands represent our faith, but also the resources of the subsoil and also mark our maturity to face a common destiny. The green ones constitute the forest and agriculture which is the driving force of our economy, but also hope. Red evokes the blood shed by the martyrs of independence and all the compatriots who died for democracy and the rule of law. The white star is, like almost everywhere on the African continent, the symbol of peace, light and intelligence. These feelings and ideals are exalted in the national anthem and summarized in the motto.
The coat of arms
A white, oval-shaped shield bordered in green. In chief the national emblem, two flags and the national motto on banner.
In the center the initials of the Togolese Republic in black on a yellow crescent-shaped background.
At the bottom and on each lower side of the yellow crescent, two red lions each holding a bow and an arrow sable.
The two young lions represent the courage of the Togolese people. They hold the bow and arrow, a traditional means of combat, to show that the true freedom of the Togolese people is in their hands and that their strength lies above all in their own traditions.
The standing and leaning lions express the vigilance of the Togolese people in guarding their independence, from sunrise to sunset.
Land of our ancestors
“Land of our ancestors” is the national anthem of the Togolese Republic.
It was officially adopted as such on April 27, 1960 by the independent State, on the proposal of the Advisory Commission for the study of draft national emblems and anthems of Togo chaired by the late Doctor Rudolph Comlan Trenou.
The authors of the lyrics and music are Alex Casimir Dosseh-Anryon and F. Gonyuie. Monsignor Robert Casimir Dosseh-Anyron, at the time vicar general of the archdiocese of Lomé, made his contribution through a poetic collaboration by giving the text the lyrical touch that we know to this day. “Land of our ancestors” was replaced in 1979 under the one-party regime, before being reinstated in 1992 as the national anthem. It is composed of three verses.
Work - Freedom - Homeland
The motto expresses the founding values of the Togolese Republic.
Citizens believe in the virtues of work, a guarantee of the development of a nation of free men and women, driven by a deep love of the motherland.