Djakotomey


Djakotomey is a town and commune in the Kouffo Department of south-western Benin. The commune covers an area of 325 square kilometers and as of 2013 had a population of 134,704 people.

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” 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 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, 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 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 and high levels of maize cultivation in the commune.
Livestock rearing 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 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 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, 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 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.