Paul Biya

Born on 13 February 1933

According to the Presidency of the Republic, Paul Biya was born on 13 February 1933 at Mvoméka’a, in the Meyomessala sub-division (Dja-et-Lobo division, South region). He studied in Yaoundé and then in Paris, where he took a licence in public law in 1960, a diploma of the Institute of Political Studies in 1961 and a diploma of the Institute of Advanced Overseas Studies in 1962. He joined the Presidency in October 1962 and was in turn director and then secretary-general at the Ministry of Education (1964-1965), director and then secretary-general of the Presidency (1967-1970), and Prime Minister from June 1975. He became President of the Republic on 6 November 1982, after Ahmadou Ahidjo’s resignation on 4 November.

Official sourcePresidency of the Republic of CameroonPublished 6 Nov 1982Verified 7 Sept 2026

Related events

Related events
Date	Event	Era	Source
30 June 1975	Creation of the office of Prime Minister and Paul Biya’s appointment	United Republic of Cameroon	Official sourcePresidency of the Republic of Cameroon
4 November 1982 – 6 November 1982	Ahmadou Ahidjo’s resignation and Paul Biya’s inauguration	The Renouveau era (since 1982)	Official sourcePresidency of the Republic of Cameroon
6 April 1984 – 30 April 1984	The 6 April 1984 coup attempt · Contested	The Renouveau era (since 1982)	Official sourceAfrica Spectrum (peer-reviewed journal)
11 October 1992 – 23 October 1992	1992 disputed presidential election · Contested	The Renouveau era (since 1982)	Official sourceUNESCO – General History of Africa
10 September 2019 – 24 December 2019	Major National Dialogue and the 2019 special status	The Renouveau era (since 1982)	Official sourceNational Assembly of Cameroon
21 January 2025 – 28 January 2025	Report of the joint Franco-Cameroonian historians’ commission	The Renouveau era (since 1982)	Official sourceFranco-Cameroonian joint commission — report “France in Cameroon (1945-1971)”
12 October 2025 – 27 October 2025	2025 disputed presidential election · Contested	The Renouveau era (since 1982)	Official sourceConstitutional Council