Sokodé

Sokodé is the second largest city in Togo, with a population of about 189,000. It is a commercial center for the surrounding agricultural areas, and seat of the Tchaoudjo Prefecture and Centrale Region. It is in the center of the country, north of Lomé, between the Mo and Mono rivers. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious city, but is dominated by Islam. The ethnic majority are Kotokolis, who live alongside Muslims.

History

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Ancient indigenous stock of the region mixed with more recent migrants of Gurma, from the eastern part of the Niger Bend, between Ouagadougou and Niamey, who brought the political system of chiefdoms with them. Added to this structure were Western Sudanic traders and craftsmen (the Mandinka, from historic Mali) and Hausa, a dynamic force since the 16th century. By choosing, in late 1897, to establish an outpost at Sokodé, Germans entrenched the role of the now dominant Kotokoli chiefdoms.

The city developed in precolonial times as a commercial crossroads on the Kola nut route between Ghana and Benin. Currently it is center on the only north-south road in Togo, linking the capital Lomé to Burkina Faso. Urbanization accelerated during colonization. The city consists of older villages that have now become neighborhoods.

|source 2 = Deutscher Wetterdienst (humidity 1961-1990) Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)

Economy

The economy of Sokodé is dominated by transport, trade and handicrafts. There is little industrial activity, like cotton ginning and sugar processing.

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Farmers grow primarily corn, cassava, yams, pepper and beans, and many gardeners and farmers live on the periphery of Sokodé. They have herds of cows in the fields. Meanwhile, nomadic Fulani frequently pass near Sokodé, with their herds of zebu en route between Burkina Faso and Nigeria.

The vegetables are grown especially along the Kpondjo and Inusayo rivers. Most agricultural areas are floodplains, with growers beginning cultivation following the rainy season.

Culture

Festivals

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'Gadao-Adossa-Kosso: the main Kotokoli festival consists of three days of festivities, from Friday to Sunday. Celebrated the evening before Adossa, Gadao's function is to thank the ancestors for abundant harvests. Adossa, or the Festival of Knives, is an initiation rite originating with Semassi warriors who demonstrate their strength and courage by undergoing physical challenges. The next day is Kosso, the Festival of Women, in which women dance in the Municipal Park in Sokodé City.

Among others, major festivals are held by different Sokodé clans. In most festivals traditional dancers are invited from the region, as well as riders mimicking the Semassi warriors, spinning at full speed in the middle of the crowd.

Landmarks

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Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Muslim mosques. There are also Christian churches and temples : Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokodé (Catholic Church), Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Togo (World Communion of Reformed Churches), Togo Baptist Convention (Baptist World Alliance), Living Faith Church Worldwide, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Assemblies of God.

A new market, the Sokodé Central Market, opened on January 16, 2025, with an inauguration attended by Togo’s President, Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé. It is a two-level modern commercial complex with 36 stores and 508 sales areas, funded by the Togolese government at a cost of 2 billion CFA francs (about $3.2 million), with support from KfW of Germany.

Sport

The town is home to AC Semassi F.C. who play at the Stade Municipal as do the Tchaoudjo Athlétic Club.

Notable people

Kotokro - the founder of Sokodé.
Zarifou Ayéva - politician
Mohamed Kader - footballer
Edem Kodjo - former Prime Minister of Togo
Assimiou Touré - footballer
Arissou Traorè - footballer