Our hero today was a nationalist and brilliant economist.
He was known for his strong stance against French imperial influence, advocating for economic independence and a sovereign Togolese currency.
His name is Sylvanus Olympio, Togo’s First President and a former Prime Minister.
Born on September 6, 1902, in Lome, Togoland, then a German colony, Olympio was one of 30 children of his father, who had emigrated from Brazil in the mid-19th century.
Several decades after his death, Olympio’s name is registered in history books alongside some of his peers, Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, Obafemi Awolowo of Nigeria, Ahmed Sékou Touré of Guinea, and Patrice Lumumba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as revolutionary leaders in ending colonial rule in Africa.
Today, Christopher Atisto tells us about Sylvanus Olympio, a man of character, great intellect, and excellence.