Ahmadou Ahidjo (1924-1989) was the president of the Federal Republic of Cameroon and one of the most influential leaders of the French-speaking African states.

Ahmadou Ahidjo was born in August 1924, in Garoua, an inland river port on the Benue River in northern Cameroon. The son of a Fulani chief, he attended secondary school in Yaoundé, the Cameroon capital, to prepare for a career in the lower echelons of the civil service. Unable to complete his education, he became a radio operator for the post office, a position he held until 1946 when he entered territorial politics. In 1947 he was elected to the trust territory's first Assembly and was re-elected in 1952. His growing importance in Cameroon politics was emphasized when, in 1953, in addition to his functions as territorial deputy, he was elected to the Assembly of the French Union. He served that body as one of its secretaries in...