Djakotomey

Geography

Djakotomey is located in the north-west of Kouffo Department, about 137–138 km north-west of Cotonou. It is bordered by the communes of Aplahoué and Klouékanmè to the north, Dogbo to the south, the Republic of Togo to the west, and Toviklin and Klouékanmè to the east.

The commune lies on the Adja plateau, with a relatively low and gently undulating relief at an average altitude of around 80 m above sea level. Soils are largely “terres de barre” (ferralitic soils) characteristic of the southern Benin plateau, with hydromorphic soils in valley bottoms which favour market gardening and rice or vegetable production. The Mono River valley influences the western part of the department, yet within Djakotomey itself the hydrographic network mainly consists of small seasonal streams and depressions.

Climate

Like other communes of Kouffo, Djakotomey experiences a sub-equatorial climate with four seasons: two rainy seasons (roughly April–July and September–November) and two dry seasons. Annual rainfall in the department generally ranges between 900 and 1,200 mm, with mean temperatures around 27–28 °C.

Administration

Djakotomey is one of six communes in the Kouffo Department. The commune is administratively divided into ten arrondissements: Adjintimey, Bètoumey, Djakotomey I, Djakotomey II, Gohomey, Houégamey, Kinkinhoué, Kokohoué, Kpoba and Sokouhoué. Communal documentation and census tables list over 70 villages and urban districts, grouped under these arrondissements, with detailed data on household size, agricultural households and age structure.

Demographics

According to the 2013 General Population and Housing Census (RGPH-4), Djakotomey had a population of 134,028 inhabitants, up from 96,732 in 2002, 71,502 in 1992 and 52,800 in 1979. The commune is predominantly rural and young, with an average household size above 6 persons according to communal monographs. Demographic profiles show a high proportion of the population under 15 years old and a slight predominance of women, in line with department-wide patterns. Ethnically, Djakotomey is described as the territory “par excellence of the Adja sociocultural group”, accounting for more than 98 % of the population. Other groups (Fon, Yoruba and others) are present in smaller proportions according to local monographs.

Economy

Agriculture and livestock

Djakotomey’s economy is overwhelmingly agricultural. Communal reports highlight the cultivation of maize, cassava, yams, cowpea and groundnuts, as well as cash crops such as cotton. The commune has long been considered a cotton-growing zone of southern Benin, though cropping patterns have diversified in recent decades.

The commune is now described as an important tomato-producing region, with studies documenting tomato pests and beneficial insects in Djakotomey fields. Open data from the Ministry of Agriculture confirms significant vegetable production (including tomato and pepper) and high levels of maize cultivation in the commune. Livestock rearing (small ruminants, poultry and pigs) and petty trade complement farming income.

Trade and services

National communication campaigns describe Djakotomey as a “city of traders”, with dynamic marketplaces and commercial flows that challenge traditional economic poles. Market activities are supported by road connections to neighbouring communes and to the border with Togo. Informal services (transport, small workshops, retail) form a significant part of the local economy according to communal monographs.

Infrastructure and services

Water and sanitation

In the mid-2010s, Djakotomey was selected for rural water supply investments under a transition fund, with village water supply (adductions d’eau villageoise) projects in several localities including Tokpohoué, Gbékéhoué, Akodébakou and Sokouhoué. A national report on universal access to drinking water lists new works in the arrondissement of Houégamey as part of programmes to improve water coverage in Kouffo.

Transport

Djakotomey is linked to other communes of Kouffo and to Cotonou by departmental and communal roads; its markets attract traders from neighbouring areas and from Togo.

Education and health

Communal and sectoral documents report the presence of primary and secondary schools as well as health centres in the main arrondissements; however, access to services remains uneven between urban and rural districts.

Governance and development

Djakotomey has been highlighted in national reports for relatively good performance in local financial governance. In a 2016 Local Governance Index (Indice de la Gouvernance Locale), the commune is cited as the best performer in Kouffo for financial management practices. The commune has also been recognised by the National Association of Communes of Benin for its efforts in mobilising own-source revenues. Recent audits under the FADeC (local development funds) mechanism provide detailed assessments of Djakotomey’s financial management.

Culture

Djakotomey is known as the cradle of the Gogohoun dance, a traditional performance combining music, dance and costumes associated with Adja culture. Religious practice in the commune is mixed: traditional religions remain very present, alongside Christianity and, to a lesser extent, Islam, in proportions similar to those observed for the wider Kouffo department.

References

References

2. "National Institute of Statistics and Economic Analysis".
3. "Communes of Benin". Statoids.
4. (24 November 2020). "Destination Bénin – Djakotomey, cité de commerçants qui bouscule bien des pôles économiques".
5. "DJAKOTOMEY – Commune de Djakotomey". Government of Benin.
6. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
7. (2016). "Cahier des villages et quartiers de ville du Couffo".
8. (30 June 2017). "Monographie Djakotomey – Fonds de transition".
9. "Djakotomey – Fiche de coopération". Government of Benin.
10. (2016). "Cahier des villages et quartiers de ville du Couffo".
11. "Kouffo – Communes du département".
12. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
13. "La commune Djakotomey – RGPH-4 data".
14. (February 2016). "Effectifs de la population des villages et quartiers de ville du Bénin (RGPH-4, 2013)".
15. "Djakotomey, Commune in Benin – Population Statistics".
16. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
17. (2016). "Cahier des villages et quartiers de ville du Couffo".
18. "DJAKOTOMEY – Commune de Djakotomey". Government of Benin.
19. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
20. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
21. "Inventaire préliminaire de l’entomofaune des champs de tomates dans la commune de Djakotomey au Bénin".
22. "Inventaire préliminaire de l’entomofaune des champs de tomates Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. dans la commune de Djakotomey au Bénin".
23. "Djakotomey – Agriculture, production végétale".
24. "Direction de la statistique agricole – zones de production".
25. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
26. (24 November 2020). "Destination Bénin – Djakotomey, cité de commerçants qui bouscule bien des pôles économiques".
27. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
28. (30 June 2017). "Monographie Djakotomey – Fonds de Transition".
29. (6 June 2023). "Accès universel à l’eau potable au Bénin – note de synthèse".
30. (24 November 2020). "Destination Bénin – Djakotomey, cité de commerçants qui bouscule bien des pôles économiques".
31. "Monographie de la commune de Djakotomey".
32. "Spatialisations des cibles prioritaires des ODD au Bénin – Monographie Mono–Couffo".
33. (2016). "Rapport sur l’Indice de la Gouvernance Locale 2016".
34. (25 June 2024). "Récompense à la meilleure commune mobilisatrice de ressources propres".
35. (3 September 2025). "Audit FADeC 2022 – Commune de Djakotomey".
36. "DJAKOTOMEY – Commune de Djakotomey". Government of Benin.
37. (24 November 2020). "Destination Bénin – Djakotomey, cité de commerçants qui bouscule bien des pôles économiques".
38. (2016). "Cahier des villages et quartiers de ville du Couffo".