Ikhia Zodi

Ikhia Aboubekr Zodi (c. 1919 – February 16, 1996) was a Nigerien politician.

Life and career Born around 1919 at Winditen, Zodi came from a wealthy Tuareg family; his father was a prominent person from Taghagar. He received his primary education in Niamey and his higher education at Ecole William Ponty in Dakar. In 1941 he began teaching for nomadic schools. He went on to become school director, first for the Ecole des enfants de troupe in Bingerville and later Ecole des Kel Gress d'Arzérori. He was elected to the French National Assembly in the 1951 elections, on the UNIS list headed by Georges Condat (which won both Nigerien seats). The next year he was elected to the Nigerien Territorial Assembly, representing Filingué, and to the Grand Council of French West Africa. He remained in the Grand Council until 1957. In his function as Minister of Education, he came into conflict with the Minister of Interior. In 1960 he was demoted to Secretary of State for National Defense.

Zodi later became Minister of African Affairs.

In 1963, he took part in a failed coup d'etat. He was arrested and sentenced to death. He was pardoned from execution and his sentence was changed to imprisonment. He was released from jail in 1971. After release from jail, he withdrew from political life. He died in Niamey in 1996.