Tessaoua is a city located in the Maradi Region of Niger

Niger

Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...

. It has a population of 31,667 (2001 census). Tessaoua is historically an important city in its region. It is situated in a central geographical location. Tessaoua is a mid-point on a historical trade route between Agadez, Niger in the north and Kano, Nigeria in the south. More important to modern Niger, Tessaoua is nearly half-way between the regional capitals of Maradi and Zinder on the one main East/West road in Niger. Zinder used to be the capital of Niger until the French colonialists moved the capital west to Niamey, where it was in closer proximity to others of the French West African holdings and thus easier to manage. Tessaoua used to be a regional capital, until political power was shifted to Maradi. Maradi is still the regional capital today.

Tessaoua has one high school (lycée) and several primary schools--some of which instruct in French and others which instruct primarily in the national language, Hausa, or also in Arabic in the Franco-Arabe, or Koranic Schools. It does not have a university. There are two hospitals in Tessaoua. Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also have regional headquarters in Tessaoua, which allows them access to surrounding rural villages.