Nikki is a town,

arrondissement An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, and certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands. Europe France The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissem ...

, and commune located in the

Borgou Department Borgou is one of the twelve departments of Benin. Borgou borders the country of Nigeria and the departments of Alibori Department, Alibori, Atakora Department, Atakora, Collines Department, Collines and Donga Department, Donga. The capital of B ...

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

. The commune covers an area of 3171 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 99,251 people. Nikki is a major centre of the Batonuo people and is home to a traditional king, resident in the centre of the town.Butler, Stuart (2019) ''Bradt Travel Guide - Benin'', pgs. 181-83 The ''Gaani'' royal festival is held in the town annually. Before the colonial era, Nikki was one of the main political centers of the

Borgu Borgu is a region and former country split between north-west Nigeria and the northern Republic of Benin. It was partitioned between British Empire, Great Britain and France by the Anglo-French Convention of 1898. People of Borgu are known as B ...

federation.

History

Foundation

The capital of the kingdom of Nikki was originally Ouénou. Among the ethnic groups and peoples living in Ouénou, the Baatoumbou were a hierarchical people with a king at the top with the title Ouénou-Sounon. Around 1480, the Wassangari arrived in the region under the leadership of their leader Mansa Doro. Séro, his groom, son of Kisra was then chosen as head of the community which remained in the region and which was organized on the model of Ouénou-Sounon.. He married local Baatoumbou women, and had a son named Simé. During a hunting trip, Simé identified the site of Nikki. The name derives from the humidity of the site; he said: “Ya niké – nikérou san” (in Bariba: “it's humid”). Simé established his residence there but his father Séro remained in Ouénou..

Regional Power

Nikki became one of the most powerful and important cities in the

confederacy, less prestigious but generally more powerful than the older Bussa. The city's strategic position astride trade routes linking Bondoukou, Gonja and the

Ashanti Empire The Asante Empire ( Asante Twi: ), also known as the Ashanti Empire, was an Akan state that lasted from 1701 to 1901, in what is now modern-day Ghana. It expanded from the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and also parts of Ivory Coast ...

with Hausaland and the

Oyo Empire The Oyo Empire was a Yoruba people, Yoruba empire in West Africa. It was located in present-day western Nigeria (including the South West (Nigeria), South West zone, Benin Republic, and the western half of the North Central (Nigeria), North Cent ...

brought it wealth and power. Throughout the 18th century, princes from Nikki fanned out, founding new petty kingdoms under the mother city's patronage all across southern Borgu, including Kandi, Kaiama,

Parakou Parakou is the largest city in northern Benin, and the third-largest city in the country, with an estimated population of around 206,667 people, and capital of the Borgou Department. Administratively the commune of Parakou makes up one of Benin ...

, Natitingou and others. Nikki played a key role in the regional economy, protecting trade routes, signing trade treaties with neighboring powers, and minting the

mithqal Mithqāl () is a unit of mass equal to which is mostly used for measuring precious metals, such as gold, and other commodities, like saffron. The name was also applied as an alternative term for the gold dinar, a coin that was used throughout ...

gold coin that became a common currency in the region. In the 1820s,

Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people are an ethnic group in Sahara, Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. Inhabiting many countries, they live mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, South Sudan, Darfur, ...

jihadists from the

Sokoto Caliphate The Sokoto Caliphate (, literally: Caliphate in the Lands of Sudan), also known as the Sultanate of Sokoto, was a Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim caliphate in West Africa. It was founded by Usman dan Fodio in 1804 during the Fula jihads, Fulani jihads ...

had taken control of

Ilorin Ilorin is the capital city of Kwara State located in the Western region of Nigeria. The city is a major hub for transportation and commerce in the region. . Retrieved 18 February 2007 Although Ilorin is classified under the North-Central g ...

in the crumbling

. Alaafin Oluewu looked to Borgu, which was also suffering raids, to join him in an 1837 effort to push back the Muslims. Siru Kpera, the Sina Boko of Nikki, led a force bringing together cities from all across Borgu. After several initial successes, the alliance suffered a calamitous defeat and Siru Kpera was killed. With his death, the peripheral princelings under Nikki's influence became increasingly independent and began taxing and raiding trade caravans, undermining the mother city's regional influence.

Colonial Era

When

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

penetrated the region in the late 19th century, they saw Borgu as an important strategic area. The 1894 'Race for Nikki' saw

Frederick Lugard Frederick John Dealtry Lugard, 1st Baron Lugard (22 January 1858 – 11 April 1945), known as Sir Frederick Lugard between 1901 and 1928, was a British soldier, explorer of Africa and colonial administrator. He was Governor of Hong Kong (1907� ...

and Capt. Decoeur racing to sign commercial and protectorate treaties with Sina Boko Laffia. Lugard succeeded first, on November 10th, followed by Decoeur on the 26th. The exact border between French and British spheres of influence was settled in 1898, dividing Borgu in two. Nikki was joined to

French Dahomey French Dahomey, officially the Colony of Dahomey and Dependencies (), was a French colony and part of French West Africa from 1894 to 1958. After World War II, by the establishment of the French Fourth Republic in 1947, Dahomey became part of ...

, but its former vassal

was made the center of administration, and the town's importance declined.

Notable people

Benin minister Aurélie Adam Soule was born here in 1984.

Climatic Condition

The year-round climate of Nikki is humid, stifling, and hot, with sporadic lows and highs

References

;Sources * * * {{Communes of Benin Communes of Benin History of Benin History of Nigeria