Co-creating the Future of Drone Regulations with the Togolese Drone Ecosystem

From February 17th to 21st, 2025, the city of Lomé became a hub of collaboration as WeRobotics, in partnership with Togo’s National Agency for Civil Aviation (ANAC) and supported by Togo Flying Labs, hosted a series of workshops aimed at co-creating a future where drone technology in Togo will be guided by regulations rooted in local realities and driven by data.

But before all this, on February 16th, was a regional retreat for French-speaking Flying Labs. Hosted by Togo Flying Labs, this retreat welcomed members from Senegal, Morocco, and Burkina Faso Flying Labs, alongside WeRobotics. Conversation ranged from shared ambitions and how these Flying Labs might grow stronger together, to strategies for how they might carve a space for innovation in a world that sometimes hesitates before embracing change. The gathering reinforced the importance of shared vision and collective action in tackling technological and social challenges across the region.

The co-creation workshops officially launched on Monday 17th February, setting the stage for lively discussions and hands-on activities. Over three days, participants—49 drone professionals, enthusiasts, and representatives from the public and private sectors—engaged in critical analyses of current and future drone use cases. With co-facilitation by WeRobotics, Morocco, Burkina Faso, and Senegal Flying Labs, participants identified 75 unique drone use cases in Togo, consolidated a list of 8 regulatory domain challenges, and created 101 recommendations for the Togolese government to include in their creation of the country’s first drone regulations currently under construction and scheduled to be implemented later this year.

To conclude the workshop series, ANAC Togo organized an intermediate result and closure session on Friday 21st February. Invited participants included department heads of ANAC as well as director-level representatives from various ministries and government agencies involved in the drone regulation process—including customs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Military, and more. The three-hour session was presided over with keen interest by the Director General of ANAC and concluded with a speech from the General Secretary of the Ministry of Transport. The session was followed by a meal, encouraging further networking and discussion.

The co-creation workshop series gained national recognition, being featured on Togo’s evening news twice within the week. The first segment aired at the beginning of the week, covering the workshop’s opening sessions, while the second aired at the end, highlighting the workshop’s closing sessions and outcomes.

In the weeks following the workshop, the project team transcribed the detailed outcomes and recommendations collected during the workshops into a comprehensive report, which has now been shared with ANAC Togo. Over the coming months, follow-up discussions with ANAC Togo will explore how these insights can inform the drafting of new regulations. This precious feedback will help further improve the framework as well as future adoptions in other Flying Labs countries.

A heartfelt thank you to all participants for their dedication and expertise. Immense gratitude as well to our incredible project partners at DeloitteD2i, and to Togo Flying Labs for their supporting role in organizing this event and bringing together the actors of the Togo drone ecosystem. Additionally, the workshops were enriched by the co-facilitation and contributions of Morocco Flying Labs, Senegal Flying Labs, and Burkina Faso Flying Labs, which emphasized the power of cross-border collaboration within the Flying Labs Network. And we cannot forget to express our warmest gratitude to ANAC Togo for their invaluable commitment during this project. Their partnership has enabled us to learn alongside them and refine our framework to further contribute to the important work of building safe, dynamic, and economically beneficial drone ecosystems across the Global South.