Historical Perspective
10 youngest presidents in the world
Here are the ten (10) youngest presidents in the world.
- Ibrahim Traore (Burkinaso, age 37)
Ibrahim Traore, the military leader of Burkina Faso
Since September 30, 2022, Ibrahim Traoré has served as Burkina Faso’s military and acting leader. At the age of 34, Traoré staged a coup d’etat to remove Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, the previous interim president. Traoré, a 36-year-old Burkinabe leader who was born on March 14, 1988, is now Africa’s youngest president.
- Daniel Noboa (Ecuador, age 37)
Daniel Noboa Azín, the youngest president of republican Ecuador and modern Latin America, took over as head of the National Government at the age of 35. He was a member of the National Assembly before winning 52.1% of the vote in his first run for the presidency of the Republic on October 15, 2023.
- Jakov Milatovic (Montegnero, age 38)
After serving as Minister of Economic Development in the 42nd Government of Montenegro (2020–2022), President Jakov Milatović created the Europe Now Movement! in June 2022 prior to his election. He became President of Montenegro on May 20, 2023.
- Gabriel Boric (Chile, age 39]
In December 2021, Gabriel Boric, a Chilean politician and law graduate, defeated José Antonio Kast in the second round of the presidential election with 55.9% of the vote, becoming the youngest president in Chilean history and the seventh youngest state leader in the world. Boric has thus been the 37th president of Chile since 2022, having previously served two four-year terms as a deputy in the Chamber of Deputies.
- Mahamat Deby (Chad, age 41)
The son of a Gourane mother and Idriss Déby, the commander-in-chief of the Chadian Ground Forces at the time, Mahamat Déby was born in 1984.
A politician and military officer from Chad, he has led the country since 2021. He served as the Transitional Military Council’s president from 2021 to 2022, then as Transitional President from 2022 to 2024, and finally as the country’s seventh president since 2024 after winning the presidential election.
- Assimi Goita (Mali, age 41)
Colonel Goita was born in 1983. He was trained in Mali’s military schools and, notably, attended the Combined Military School of Koulikoro and the military Prytanee of Kati. He is the son of an officer in the Malian Armed Forces.
He served as Mali’s Head of State from August 24 to September 25, 2020, and as president of the National Committee for the Salvation of the People beginning August 19, 2020. He served as the Transition’s vice president from September 25, 2020, to May 27, 2021. The following day, he became the President of the Transition.
- Vjosa Osmani (Kosovo, age 42)
After serving as Speaker of Parliament and winning five consecutive terms as a Member of Parliament (MP) of the Republic of Kosovo, President Osmani was elected on April 4, 2021.
Vjosa Osmani had initially been elected Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosovo on February 3, 2020, making her the first female Speaker of the Parliament before becoming president. From November 2020 to March 2021, she also held the position of Acting President of the Republic of Kosovo. She served as the deputy chair of the Committee on Constitutional Reform and as the chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and European Integration during her prior tenure as an MP.
- Nayib Bukele (El Salvado, age 43)
Nayib Bukele is El Salvador’s 81st president. Following several political initiatives, he soon established the Nuevas Ideas political party and ran for president in 2019. Bukele defeated the two major political forces for a lengthy period of power sharing when he campaigned for president with the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) and won with 53% of the vote after the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) denied his party’s registration.
- Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal, age 45)
On March 25, 1980, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye was born in the M’bour department of Ndiaganiao.
His Excellency, The Republic of Senegal’s fourth president, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, took office on April 2, 2024, at the age of 44. Up until Ibrahim Traore of Burkina’s coup, he was the youngest democratically elected president of Africa, representing a new generation of leaders dedicated to modernity and transformation on the continent.
- Xavier Espot Zamora (Andorra, age 45)
In the Antoni Martí administration, Xavier succeeded Rosa Ferrer Obiols as Minister of Social Affairs, Justice, and Interior from July 25, 2012, to February 28, 2019. To prepare for his bid to become prime minister in the 2019 general election, he resigned from his position as minister on February 28, 2019.
Thus, on May 16, 2019, he was elected prime minister.
Knowledge Dropbox
How US Yoruba village sparked row between Alaafin, Ooni
Ooni of Ife and Alaafin of Oyo
In a video that went viral on social media, the Alaafin remained seated and greeted the Ooni casually, while other traditional rulers stood up to shake hands with Oba Adeyeye.
Facts have emerged on the genesis of the brewing rift between the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
The seeming rift came to public attention on Tuesday, April 29, when Oba Owoade refused to stand up to greet the Ooni, who had approached to exchange pleasantries with him and other monarchs at a programme organised by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a video that went viral on social media, the Alaafin remained seated and greeted the Ooni casually, while other traditional rulers stood up to shake hands with Oba Adeyeye.
The video has been generating mixed reactions from the public.
However, Alaafin’s Personal Assistant, Kolade Oladele, dismissed the reactions, describing them as a deliberate attempt to sow discord among Yoruba traditional rulers.
He described the controversy as a distraction from more pressing issues affecting the region, including insecurity, economic hardship, and youth development.
However, Sunday PUNCH gathered from credible people familiar with the matter that the rift between Alaafin and Ooni started in March 2025 at the Oyotunji African Village in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States.
Oyotunji African Village is a unique intentional community established in 1970 by Oba Efuntola Adefunmi I.
It was founded as a cultural and spiritual haven for African Americans seeking to reconnect with traditional Yoruba heritage.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that Adefunmi was crowned by the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.
After Adefunmi’s passing in 2005, his son, Adejuyigbe, succeeded him and was crowned by the same Oba Sijuwade as the leader of the community.
However, Adejuyigbe was stabbed to death in July 2024 by a 53-year-old woman identified as his sister, Akiba Meredith, during a domestic dispute.
Sources told our correspondent that the current Ooni had sent a team of monarchs to the Oyotunji Village to perform traditional rites following Adejuyigbe’s murder.
The team included the Salu Edunabon, Oba Adesoji Oladepo, the Obalufe of Ife, Oba Idowu Adediwura, the Araba Agbaye, and the priest in charge of the Oranmiyan staff in Ife, Owa Iredumi.
According to the sources, Oba Owoade, who was in seclusion at the time, called one of the traditional rulers and demanded that they vacate the village, claiming it was Oyo territory.
One of the team members said: “We were at Oyotunji Village on the directive and sponsorship of the Ooni to perform traditional rites after the killing of the traditional leader of the village.
“We spoke with the family and performed every necessary rite. We left Nigeria in March and returned in early April.
“I was in my room when Oba Owoade, who was still in seclusion then, called one of us and told him we should leave the place because the village belongs to him, claiming it is part of Oyo territory.
“I regarded that call as disrespectful. Oba Owoade should have done his research on who usually installs the Oyotunji leader in the US before calling us.”
“We thought that was all. During Oba Owoade’s coronation, he didn’t recognise the Ooni. Baba went with 38 traditional rulers from Osun.
“I challenge anyone to produce the clip where the Alaafin recognised the Ooni at the event.”
The source, however, said Ooni didn’t read any meaning into that.
“Till I am speaking with you, the Alaafin has neither called nor visited the Ooni to say ‘thank you’ after the coronation.
“Painfully, the first time they met after that was during Tuesday’s programme in Ibadan, and the Alaafin behaved in such a manner.
“Ooni is not in a supremacy battle with anyone because his position in Yorubaland is not disputable.”
Oladele, however, dismissed the monarch’s claims as baseless and untrue.
“They are creating things that don’t exist. We know that truth does not need defence, and it will always prevail,” he said.
Oladele said the Alaafin did not issue any directive to anybody regarding Oyotunji village, stating that Oba Owoade had been busy with the governance of Oyo Kingdom right from his seclusion.
He said: “Kabiyesi was at Ipebi, preparing himself for the governance of the most sophisticated town. So, he didn’t have time for such a thing.
“Even if there was any issue of that nature, Alaafin has always advised people to be patient and investigate matters thoroughly before acting.
“Without putting words in Alaafin’s mouth, the Oyotunji Village has its own history, beginning with the name itself.
“The founders of the community had their reasons for naming the place Oyotunji. However, what I know is that Alaafin has not given any direct verdict to anybody. He has been focused on governance and is committed to the development of Oyo Kingdom.”
On the claim that the Alaafin did not recognise the Ooni during the coronation and appreciate his presence, Oladele said: “People are just conjuring issues anyhow. We don’t even need to dissipate our energy on this issue because it is a fallacy.
“Why would the Alaafin raise a powerful delegation to invite the Ooni to the coronation and then not recognise him? How can anybody make such a claim?
“Let us have a direct complaint from the Ooni’s palace, maybe we can take the matter seriously t Punch Newspaper of May 4, 2025hen.
Source: Punch Newspaper of May 4, 2025
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Godwin Etakibuebu – The Guru
Too much ado about imaginary matter. Please let us pay for peace to reign in Yoruba land to facilitate progress in all ramifications.