The Monument de l'Indépendance is a tall whitewashed pylon at the centre of Place de l'Indépendance, the broad ceremonial square on which the national museum and the old single-party headquarters also stand. It marks the date — 27 April 1960 — when Togo became the first French sub-Saharan colony to gain independence in the postwar wave.
The monument is best photographed from across Boulevard du Mono in the early morning light, before traffic builds. The square itself is closed to vehicles and has become a low-key social space, with families walking in the late afternoon and the occasional small political gathering. The neoclassical Maison du RPT next door, with its long colonnaded facade, is worth a look as you walk past — it is now a government office and not open to visitors.