Strikes have become commonplace, and some teaching staff are demanding they should be part of the civil service. Others insist they must be given several months of unpaid wages. The University of Benin in Lome is experiencing similar problems. The students and staff are continually calling for improved facilities and working conditions, as well as the timely payment of scholarships, university assistance, and salaries. The Togolese government, which is in a severe economic crisis, has not been able to satisfy the needs of the student and faculty, who began an indefinite strike on Apr. 12.
Agitated students hold demonstrations which often degenerate into violence and destruction.
This year on Mar. 20, skirmishes on the Lome campus between students and unidentified individuals left one person dead and two gravely injured. Some days before that incident, the office and car of the director of the National Center for University Affairs were vandalized. Several students were arrested and indicted. Togolese parents who can afford to pay are sending their children outside the country for an education but that is just a small percentage. The majority of Togo's youth have no choice but to press for reforms and improvements in education.