Certified French–English Translation Between Ghana, Nigeria and Togo
West Africa runs on two languages. Documents have to cross.
A contract drafted in Accra is signed in Lomé. A Lagos judgment is produced before a Togolese court. A power of attorney signed in Lagos is annexed to a Togolese notarial deed. Every one of those crossings needs a sworn translation — and no agency in London or Toronto can supply one, however good its linguists.
Why a document for Togo needs a translator sworn in Lomé
Before a Togolese authority, a document only has legal effect with the stamp of a translator sworn before the Cour d’appel de Lomé. That is not a judgement on other translators: it is a matter of jurisdiction, because each country keeps its own register. Before a court in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire or Senegal, the receiving authority therefore decides whether it accepts a translation sworn in Togo. For a file to be filed in Lomé, my stamp is what counts; for another country, I check with you what the authority requires before I start.
I am sworn before the Cour d’appel de Lomé, French to English and English to French. For any file that has to be produced before an authority in Togo — or that leaves Togo for an English-speaking one — my stamp is what gives it standing. Acceptance always remains the receiving authority’s decision; tell me the destination and I will match the format it requires.
Ghanaian and Nigerian documents into French, Togolese documents into English
Counterparties and courts in Ghana, Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia work in English. Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal work in French. Trade, litigation and family matters cross that line constantly, and each crossing produces the same handful of documents.
| Where the file starts | What usually needs sworn translation |
|---|---|
| Accra, Lagos, Abuja | Contracts governed by common law, judgments for exequatur (recognition of a foreign judgment), powers of attorney, company records for a francophone subsidiary |
| Lomé, Cotonou, Abidjan, Ouagadougou | Articles of association, notarial deeds, procedural filings and civil-status records bound for an English-speaking authority |
| An individual moving either way | Diplomas and transcripts, birth and marriage certificates, police clearance, visa and university files |
Areas served: Lomé, Togo (in person) · West Africa and worldwide, remotely. Files arrive and leave by email or WhatsApp; a stamped paper copy follows by courier within Togo when the receiving body still requires it.
Law firms, companies and individuals: three kinds of file
Law firms and notaries
A foreign judgment to be recognised, an estate with a will drafted abroad, a power of attorney signed in Lagos and used before a Lomé notary. Firm rates, reserved monthly capacity and a guaranteed turnaround of two business days are set out on the law firms page.
Companies, NGOs and institutions
Tenders, compliance files, audits and contracts moving between an anglophone head office and a francophone operation. Billed per source word and invoiced in EUR, USD or FCFA. See services for organisations.
Individuals relocating or applying
Diplomas, civil-status records and police clearance for a visa, a university place or a job across the border. Priced per page — see certified translation.
Rates in FCFA, invoiced in euros or dollars
| Work | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal documents and civil-status records | 15,000–20,000 FCFA / page | Standardised and short, including deeds and judgments of up to 3 pages — priced per page |
| Corporate, legal and institutional | 66–118 FCFA / source word | Drafted and dense — priced per source word, never per page |
| Express 24h | +50% | Same stamp, same signature, same legal weight |
At the fixed euro rate (655.957 FCFA = €1): about €23–€30 a page, €0.10–€0.18 a source word.
Rates excl. tax for corporate and institutional work. Clients outside Togo can be invoiced in EUR, USD or FCFA and settle by bank transfer or international wire (SWIFT). Full detail on the rate card.
Translation agency? Vendor details are here →
Frequently asked questions
Yes, and this is the most common reason firms outside Togo contact me. Send a clear scan by email or WhatsApp; the certified translation comes back stamped and signed as a PDF, with a paper copy by courier within Togo if the receiving body requires it. You never need to travel, and you do not need to send the original. Whether the Ghanaian original must first be legalised depends on the Togolese authority that receives it; I confirm it with the quote.
It depends on what the receiving body asks for. Common-law jurisdictions more often want a translator’s certificate of accuracy or an affidavit than an entry in a court register. I supply the sworn stamp and, where it is wanted, a signed certificate of accuracy in the form the destination expects. Tell me who is receiving the document and I will produce it in the right form.
My stamp has no automatic standing there: the court decides whether it accepts a translation sworn in Togo, and many require a translator registered with them. Check with the registry before ordering. If the court accepts it, I translate and certify. If not, the translation still serves wherever no stamp is required: understanding a judgment, preparing a negotiation, exchanges between the parties.
Sometimes. Togo is not yet a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so legalisation is a chain: the translation is legalised first at the town hall (mairie) where I am registered, the original at the civil registry or town hall; both then go together to Foreign Affairs and the destination consulate. I can handle that for you; the administrative and travel costs remain yours and are stated in the quote.
French and English only, in both directions, and I am sworn for exactly that pair. Transcription of recordings also covers Togolese national languages, delivered with a certificate of accuracy signed by the linguist who prepared it, rather than a sworn certification — there is no sworn register for those languages in Togo.
Send the file — quote in 2h
Tell me where the document starts, where it has to be produced and by when. A free quote follows within 2 working hours with an exact price and turnaround.