Hubert Maga

Hubert Maga was born on August 10, 1916, in Parakou in northern Dahomey. Educated at the École normale William Ponty in Senegal, he worked as a school headmaster before entering politics, serving in the French National Assembly and as Minister of Labor in Paris.

On August 1, 1960, Maga proclaimed Dahomey's independence from France, becoming its first constitutional President. He spearheaded the construction of the Cotonou deep-water port, modern schools, and public infrastructure. Later serving on the Presidential Council (1970–1972) and on the Constitutional Court in the 1990s, he remained a respected elder statesman until his death in 2000.