As Teodor has well stated, these triple fuller trade blades, typically Solingen products, were indeed used profusely throughout North Africa, most prevalent in the Tuareg takoubas of the Sahara, and the Sudanese 'kaskara'. There were various points of entry into the trade caravan routes, but Kano was was of the key dispersal centers.
The cylindrical hilt mounted with this trade broadsword blade is very similar to examples seen as far west as Sierra Leone, but certainly is likely to occur in regions as far inland as Mali, the primary domain of the Manding. The leather work on this does appear Manding,but without the typical trappings seen on the usual guardless sabres. These Manding sabres usually are mounted with European cavalry blades, natually most often French.
The curved blade examples of takouba mentioned often also have the European cavalry blades, and according to research done by Lee Jones seem to be termed 'alguinjar'. The term seems to be generally applied to takoubas outside the general standard with regular broadsword blades. One place that comes to mind with provenanced example of one of these curved blade takoubas is Ougadougou, Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta). Another instance of 'alguinjar' was one from same general area mounted with a straight British infantry officers blade by Mole.
Best regards,
Jim
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