Messan Hilaire Locoh-Donou

Messan Hilaire Locoh-Donou was Togolese. His date and place of birth were not given in the reports of his death. He trained in France, where he qualified as a state-registered architect (architecte DPLG) and studied urban planning at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

He was part of the generation of African architects who, after independence, sought to bring modernity to West African cities. After completing his studies he returned to Togo to work as an architect and urban planner.

In 1973 Locoh-Donou founded AUBA in Lomé, a practice specialising in architecture, urban planning and technical studies. Through the firm he took part in the design of several buildings in the capital, most notably the former headquarters of the Banque Togolaise pour le Commerce et l'Industrie (BTCI), built in the early 1980s and later occupied by IB Bank. His work was marked by reinforced concrete, play of volumes and geometric forms. In June 1991 the AUBA building hosted meetings of the Collective of the Democratic Opposition, which called a general strike to demand a sovereign national conference.

He taught architecture at the African School of Architecture and Urban Planning (EAMAU) in Lomé between 1976 and 1981, during the school's early years, and supervised student projects in architecture and planning. He presided over the National Order of Architects of Togo from 1986 to 1996.

He went on to found the Eda-Oba hotel on Boulevard Eyadéma in Lomé, with about 200 rooms, restaurants and conference facilities. It received awards at the West African Tourism and Hospitality Awards, including best conference centre. In 2014 he urged hotel professionals to work together to promote Togolese tourism. During the Covid-19 pandemic the hotel was used as part of the national health response, but with tourism halted it suspended its activities in 2021 and placed all its staff on technical leave.

Locoh-Donou joined Rotary International in 1974. He served as president of the Rotary Club of Lomé and as governor of Rotary District 9100 for 1998 to 1999. He also chaired the Togolese section of the France-Togo inter-country committee.

Details of his family were not included in published reports.

Messan Hilaire Locoh-Donou died in Lomé on 4 October 2026. His age and the cause of death were not made public. Togo Scoop reported the death the same day, followed by Actu Togo, Le Neutre and Afriquinfos. A tribute circulated after his death described him as an architect and mentor to many architects, and asked that he be remembered as a man of craft, transmission and commitment, with condolences to his family, his fellow architects and the Rotary community.

Locoh-Donou's buildings, especially the former BTCI headquarters, remain part of Lomé's modernist architecture. He contributed to the formation of architects through EAMAU, to which he donated part of his work and archives, and to the organisation of the profession as president of the National Order of Architects. In 2025, at the celebration of the order's 35th anniversary, he was among the former presidents honoured for their contribution to the profession.