Top 13 Most Educated African Presidents

Education is necessary for every individual. It is definitely essential for heads of state. If a person is educated, he/ she is more likely to be civilized and in a better position to lead his/her nation to success than a person without education. While some African presidents don’t have bachelor’s

degree or even high school certificate, the leaders on this list have attained higher education. Among the current leaders of the 54 sovereign nation just thirteen of them are known to have master’s degree. We look at the 13 most educated African presidents as of 2015.

13) Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia)

Education : Master’s degree in Technical Education (M.S.), Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is the President of Somalia. He frequented primary and secondary schools in his hometown Jalalaqsi. He earned an undergraduate diploma in technology at the Somali National University

and a master’s degree in technology at the Bhopal University in India.

12) Hage Geingob (Namibia)

Education : Master of Arts in International Affairs (M.A.I.A.),  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Hage Gottfried Geingob is the President of Namibia. He received his early education at Otavi under the Bantu Education System. He enrolled at the Augustineum in 1958. He joined the Temple University in Philadelphia in the year 1964 on a scholarship. He earned a BA degree at the Fordham University in New York and an MA degree in International Relations at the Graduate Faculty of The New School in New York.

11) Jorge Carlos Fonseca (Cape Verde)

Education : Master in Legal Sciences (M.S.L), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) Jorge Carlos de Almeida Fonseca OICVV has been serving Cape Verde since 9 September 2011. He completed his primary and secondary education in Cape Verge and his higher education at Portugal.

10) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia)

Education : Master of Public Administration (M.P.Adm.), Bachelor of Economics (BEc), Associate Degree in Accounting (A.A.) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the President of Liberia. She

studied at the College of West Africa and the Madison Business College. She joined the Economics Institute in Boulder, Colorado, in 1970. She has a Masters degree in Public Administration.

9) Faure Gnassingbe (Togo)

Education : Master of Business Administration (M.B.A), Bachelor of Business (B.B.A) Faure Gnassingbe completed his secondary education at Lome. He earned a degree in financial business management at Paris and an MBA at The George Washington University in the USA.

8) Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe)

Education : Master of Laws (LL.M.), Master of Science (M.Sc), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed), Bachelor of Administration (B.A.A), Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Robert Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. He earned a BA degree at the University of Fort Hare and subsequently earned six more degrees through distance

education; two law degrees are among them. He earned a Master of Science degree while serving his country as its prime minister.

7) Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (Mali)

Education : Master of Political Science (M.S.), Master’s degree in History (M.A.) Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has been serving Mali as its

president since 4 September 2013. He was educated at the Lycée Janson-de-Sailly in Paris, the Lycée Askia- Mohamed in Bamako, the University of Dakar, the University of Paris I and the Institut d’Histoire des Relations Internationales Contemporaines.

6) Dr. Ameenah Gurib (Mauritius)

Education : PhD in Organic Chemistry, Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (B.Sc.) Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is the President of Mauritius. After completing her primary schooling at Saint-Patrice she moved to Mahébourg Loreto Convent. She finished her Higher School Certificate at Loreto convent Quatre Bornes. Later she moved to England and graduated from

the University of Surrey in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. She received her PhD in organic chemistry at Exeter University.

5) Dr. Mulatu Teshome (Ethiopia)

Education : Ph.D. in International Law, Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy (B.Phil.)

Dr. Malatu Teshome has been the President of Ethiopia since 7 October 2013. He received his education in China. He earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy of Political economy and a doctorate in international law at the Peking University.

4) Alassane Ouattara (Côte d’Ivoire)

Education : Ph.D. in Economics, Master of Economics (M.Econ.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.),

Alassane Dramane Ouattara is the President of Côte d’Ivoire. He graduated with a BSc degree from the Drexel Institute of Technology, which is now called Drexel University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Later on he obtained both his master’s degree in economics and PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, United States.

3) Dr. Peter Mutharika (Malawi)

Education : Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.), Master of Laws (LL.M), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.),

Dr. Peter Mutharika is the President of Malawi. He earned his law degree at the University of London and went on to receive his LL.M and Doctor of the Science of Law degrees from Yale University.

2) King Mohammed VI (Morocco)

Education : Doctor of Law (J.D.), Master of Advanced Studies (M.A.S.), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) Mohammed VI is the King of Morocco. He completed his primary and secondary studies at the Royal College. Later on he attained his Baccalaureate in 1981 and went on to gain a bachelor’s degree in law at the Mohammed V

University at Agdal. He obtained his first Certificate d’Études Supérieures (CES) in political sciences and also obtained a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) in Public law. He earned his PhD in law from the French University of Nice Sophia Antipolis.

1) Dr. Thomas Boni Yayi (Benin)

Education : PhD in Economics and Political, Master of Economics (M.Econ.) Dr. Thomas Boni Yayi has been serving Benin as its president since 6 April 2006. He graduated with a Masters

degree in economics from the National University of Benin. He continued his studies and earned another Masters degree in economics at the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. He completed his doctorate

in economics and politics at the University of Orléans in France. Later on he got another doctorate in economics at the Paris Dauphine University.