List of State Leaders in 1978 - Africa

Africa

• Algeria
  • President -
    1. Houari Boumediène, President of Algeria (1965–1978)
    2. Rabah Bitat, Interim President of Algeria (1978–1979)
• Angola -
  • Communist Party Leader - Agostinho Neto, Secretary of the Popular Liberation Movement of Angola-Labor Party (1975–1979)
  • President - Agostinho Neto, President of Angola (1975–1979)
  • Prime Minister - Lopo do Nascimento, Prime Minister of Angola (1975–1978)
• Benin
  • President - Mathieu Kérékou, President of Benin (1972–1991)
• Botswana
  • President - Sir Seretse Khama, President of Botswana (1966–1980)
• Burundi
  • President - Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, President of Burundi (1976–1987)
  • Prime Minister - Édouard Nzambimana, Prime Minister of Burundi (1976–1978)
• Cameroon
  • President - Ahmadou Ahidjo, President of Cameroon (1960–1982)
  • Prime Minister - Paul Biya, Prime Minister of Cameroon (1975–1982)
• Cape Verde
  • President - Aristides Pereira, President of Cape Verde (1975–1991)
  • Prime Minister - Pedro Pires, Prime Minister of Cape Verde (1975–1991)
• Central African Empire
  • Monarch - Bokassa I, Emperor of Central Africa (1966–1979)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Ange-Félix Patassé, Prime Minister of the Central African Empire (1976–1978)
    2. Henri Maïdou, Prime Minister of the Central African Empire (1978–1979)
• Chad
  • Head of State - Félix Malloum, Head of State of Chad (1975–1979)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Félix Malloum, Prime Minister of Chad (1975–1978)
    2. Hissène Habré, Prime Minister of Chad (1978–1979)
• Comoros
  • President -
    1. Ali Soilih, President of the Comoros (1976–1978)
    2. Said Atthoumani, Chairman of the Politico-Military Directorate of the Comoros (1978)
    3. Ahmed Abdallah and Mohamed Ahmed, Co-Chairmen of the Directorate of the Comoros (1978)
    4. Ahmed Abdallah, President of the Comoros (1978–1989)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Abdallah Mohamed, Prime Minister of the Comoros (1976–1978)
    2. Salim Ben Ali, Prime Minister of the Comoros (1978–1982)
• Congo
  • Head of State - Joachim Yhombi-Opango, Head of State of Congo (1977–1979)
  • Prime Minister - Louis Sylvain Goma, Prime Minister of Congo (1975–1984)
• Djibouti
  • President - Hassan Gouled Aptidon, President of Djibouti (1977–1999)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Ahmed Dini Ahmed, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1977–1978)
    2. Abdallah Mohamed Kamil, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1978)
    3. Barkat Gourad Hamadou, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1978–2001)
• Egypt
  • President - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt (1970–1981)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Mamdouh Salem, Prime Minister of Egypt (1975–1978)
    2. Mustafa Khalil, Prime Minister of Egypt (1978–1980)
• Equatorial Guinea
  • President - Masie Nguema Biyogo Ñegue Ndong, President for Life of Equatorial Guinea (1968–1979)
• Ethiopia
  • Head of State - Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces of Ethiopia (1977–1991)
• Gabon
  • President - Omar Bongo, President of Gabon (1967–2009)
  • Prime Minister - Léon Mébiame, Prime Minister of Gabon (1975–1994)
• The Gambia
  • President - Sir Dawda Jawara, President of The Gambia (1970–1994)
• Ghana
  • Head of State -
    1. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, Chairman of the Supreme Military Council of Ghana (1972–1978)
    2. Fred Akuffo, Chairman of the Supreme Military Council of Ghana (1978–1979)
• Guinea
  • President - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958–1984)
  • Prime Minister - Louis Lansana Beavogui, Prime Minister of Guinea (1972–1984)
• Guinea-Bissau
  • Head of State - Luís Cabral, Chairman of the Council of State of Guinea-Bissau (1973–1980)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Francisco Mendes, Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau (1973–1978)
    2. Constantino Teixeira, Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau (1978)
    3. João Bernardo Vieira, Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau (1978–1980)
• Ivory Coast
  • President - Félix Houphouët-Boigny, President of Ivory Coast (1960–1993)
• Kenya
  • President -
    1. Jomo Kenyatta, President of Kenya (1964–1978)
    2. Daniel arap Moi, President of Kenya (1978–2002)
• Lesotho
  • Monarch - Moshoeshoe II, King of Lesotho (1970–1990)
  • Prime Minister - Leabua Jonathan, Prime Minister of Lesotho (1965–1986)
• Liberia
  • President - William R. Tolbert, Jr., President of Liberia (1971–1980)
• Libya
  • De facto Head of State - Muammar Gaddafi, Guide of the Revolution of Libya (1969–2011)
  • Nominal Head of State - Muammar Gaddafi, Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council of Libya (1969–1979)
  • Head of Government - Abdul Ati al-Obeidi, General Secretary of the General People's Committee of Libya (1977–1979)
• Madagascar
  • President - Didier Ratsiraka, President of Madagascar (1975–1993)
  • Prime Minister - Désiré Rakotoarijaona, Prime Minister of Madagascar (1977–1988)
• Malawi
  • President - Hastings Banda, President for Life of Malawi (1966–1994)
• Mali
  • Head of State - Moussa Traoré, Head of State of Mali (1968–1991)
• Mauritania
  • Head of State -
    1. Moktar Ould Daddah, President of Mauritania (1960–1978)
    2. Mustafa Ould Salek, Chairman of the Military Committee for National Recovery of Mauritania (1978–1979)
• Mauritius
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Mauritius (1968–1992)
  • Governor-General -
    1. Sir Henry Garrioch, Acting Governor-General of Mauritius (1977–1978)
    2. Sir Dayendranath Burrenchobay, Governor-General of Mauritius (1978–1983)
  • Prime Minister - Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Prime Minister of Mauritius (1961–1982)
• Mayotte (Territorial collectivity of France)
  • Prefect -
    1. Jean Coussirou, Prefect of Mayotte (1976–1978)
    2. Jean Rigotard, Prefect of Mayotte (1978–1980)
  • President of the General Council - Younoussa Bamana, President of the General Council of Mayotte (1976–1991)
• Morocco
  • Monarch - Hassan II, King of Morocco (1961–1999)
  • Prime Minister - Ahmed Osman, Prime Minister of Morocco (1972–1979)
  • Western Sahara (self-declared, partially recognized state)
    • President - Mohamed Abdelaziz, President of Western Sahara (1976–present)
    • Prime Minister - Mohamed Lamine Ould Ahmed, Prime Minister of Western Sahara (1976–1982)
• Mozambique
  • Communist Party Leader - Samora Machel, President of the Liberation Front of Mozambique (1975–1986)
  • President - Samora Machel, President of Mozambique (1975–1986)
• Niger
  • Head of State - Seyni Kountché, President of the Supreme Military Council of Niger (1974–1987)
• Nigeria
  • Head of State - Olusegun Obasanjo, Head of the Federal Military Government of Nigeria (1976–1979)
• Rhodesia (unrecognized, de facto independent country)
  • President -
    1. John Wrathall, President of Rhodesia (1976–1978)
    2. Henry Everard, Acting President of Rhodesia (1978)
    3. Jack William Pithey, Acting President of Rhodesia (1978–1979)
  • Prime Minister - Ian Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (1965–1979)
• Rwanda
  • President - Juvénal Habyarimana, President of Rwanda (1973–1994)
• Saint Helena and Dependencies (British crown colony)
  • Governor - Geoffrey Colin Guy, Governor of Saint Helena (1976–1981)
• São Tomé and Príncipe
  • President - Manuel Pinto da Costa, President of São Tomé and Príncipe (1975–1991)
  • Prime Minister - Miguel Trovoada, Prime Minister of São Tomé and Principe (1975–1979)
• Senegal
  • President - Léopold Sédar Senghor, President of Senegal (1960–1980)
  • Prime Minister - Abdou Diouf, Prime Minister of Senegal (1970–1980)
• Seychelles
  • President - France-Albert René, President of Seychelles (1977–2004)
• Sierra Leone
  • President - Siaka Stevens, President of Sierra Leone (1971–1985)
  • Prime Minister - Christian Alusine Kamara-Taylor, Prime Minister of Sierra Leone (1975–1978)
• Somalia
  • Communist Party Leader - Siad Barre, Secretary-general of the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party (1976–1991)
  • President - Siad Barre, President of Somalia (1969–1991)
• South Africa
  • President -
    1. Nicolaas Johannes Diederichs, State President of South Africa (1975–1978)
    2. Marais Viljoen, Acting State President of South Africa (1978)
    3. B. J. Vorster, State President of South Africa (1978–1979)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. B. J. Vorster, Prime Minister of South Africa (1966–1978)
    2. P. W. Botha, Prime Minister of South Africa (1978–1984)
  • South West Africa (League of Nations mandate administered by South Africa)
    • Administrator-General - Marthinus T. Steyn, Administrator-General of South West Africa (1977–1979)
• Sudan
  • President - Gaafar Nimeiry, President of Sudan (1969–1985)
  • Prime Minister - Gaafar Nimeiry, Prime minister of Sudan (1977–1985)
• Swaziland
  • Monarch - Sobhuza II, King of Swaziland (1921–1982)
  • Prime Minister - Maphevu Dlamini, Prime Minister of Swaziland (1976–1979)
• Tanzania
  • President - Julius Nyerere, President of Tanzania (1962–1985)
  • Prime Minister - Edward Sokoine, Prime Minister of Tanzania (1977–1980)
• Togo
  • President - Gnassingbé Eyadéma, President of Togo (1967–2005)
• Tunisia
  • President - Habib Bourguiba, President for Life of Tunisia (1957–1987)
  • Prime Minister - Hedi Amara Nouira, Prime Minister of Tunisia (1970–1980)
• Uganda
  • President - Idi Amin, President for Life of Uganda (1971–1979)
• Upper Volta
  • President - Sangoulé Lamizana, President of Upper Volta (1966–1980)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Sangoulé Lamizana, Prime Minister of Upper Volta (1974–1978)
    2. Joseph Conombo, Prime Minister of Upper Volta (1978–1980)
• Zaire
  • President - Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire (1965–1994)
  • Head of Government - Mpinga Kasenda, First State Commissioner of Zaire (1977–1979)
• Zambia
  • President - Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964–1991)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Mainza Chona, Prime Minister of Zambia (1977–1978)
    2. Daniel Lisulo, Prime Minister of Zambia (1978–1981)