The Tikar (formally known as Tikari, Tigar, Tigari, and Tigre throughout their history) are a Central African ethnic group in Cameroon. They are known to be great artists, artisans and storytellers. Once a nomadic people, some oral traditions trace the origin of the Tikar people to the Nile River Valley in present-day Sudan. Such ethnic groups were referred to in the 1969 official statistics as "Semi-Bantus" and "Sudanese Negroes." They speak a Northern Bantoid language called Tikar. One of the few African ethnic groups to practice a monotheistic traditional religion, the Tikar refer to God the Creator by the name Nyuy. They also have an extensive spiritual system of ancestral reverence.

Grassfields ethnic groups make up approximately 9.9% of Cameroon's population. This could be due to the high number of Tikar people who were kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Americas. The Bamum people and other ethnic groups have also asserted their link to the Tikar people through Tikar rulers in the Kingdom of Bamum. However, the Kom, Nso, Bamum, Ndop-Bamunka, and Bafut peoples are the only ethnic groups that anthropologists and historians believe have a legitimate claim to Tikar lineage.

There are currently six adjoining Tikar kingdoms: Bankim (Kimi), Ngambé-Tikar, Kong (Nkong/Boikouong), Nditam (Bandam), Ngoumé, and Gâ (Ntchi). The boundaries of these kingdoms have remained since German colonizers arrived in Cameroon.

During the reign of Sultan Njoya, ruler of the Kingdom of Bamum, French missionary and translator Henri Martin documented that the Bamum people translated the word Tikar as "those who wander."

Today, there is ongoing debate about whether the Tikar should be considered a distinct ethnic group, like the Hausa people, or if the term serves as a general label for multiple groups. Some smaller communities assert that they descend from the Tikar people. Although these claims are heavily contested, one ethnic group in modern Cameroon identifies as Tikar and is recognized as directly descending from the original Tikar people.

Debates persist regarding the broader use of the term Tikar/Tikari to designate many villages and towns in northwestern Cameroon. Additionally, some ethnic groups in the region claim Tikar descent through royal bloodlines. However, oral traditions and DNA testing conducted by companies such as African Ancestry, Inc. have demonstrated that these groups are genetically distinct. While some individuals receive Tikar of Cameroon results, others are identified as Bamileke of Cameroon.

The Bamum and other groups have also asserted connections to the Tikar people through Tikar rulers of the Kingdom of Bamum. According to Molefi Kente Asante, the "Bamum and the Tikar are renowned as great artists who create monumental sculptures of bronze and beads. Cultural exchanges between the Tikar and the Bamum have enriched both groups. For instance, the Bamum adopted numerous words from the Tikar language, as well as from other languages, including Bafanji, Bamali, and Bambalang." Anthropologists have also noted cultural similarities between the Tikar and the Bamum. E. M. Chilver and Phyllis Mary Kaberry suggested that claims of Tikar ancestry by smaller Grassfields groups may often be political in nature.

Small communities of Hausa people in Cameroon also identify as Tikar. Groups claiming descent from Tikar fondoms include the Bambili, Oku, Kom, Bum, Bafut, Nso, Mbiame, Wiya, Tang, War, Mbot, Mbem, Fungom, Weh, Mmen, Bamunka, Babungo, Bamessi, Bamessing, Bambalang, Bamali, Bafanji, Baba (Papiakum), Bangola, Big Babanki, Babanki Tungo, Nkwen, and Bambui. However, anthropologists and historians generally agree that only the Kom, Nso, Bamum, Ndop-Bamunka, and Bafut peoples have credible claims to Tikar ancestry.