Soglo was born in
French Togoland. He studied law and economics at the
University of Paris and the
École nationale d'administration. Soglo met his future wife, a Beninese student named
Rosine Vieyra, in 1947, while both were studying in France as teenagers. The couple married on 2 July 1958. They had two sons,
Léhady (born 1960) and
Ganiou Soglo (born 1962). After receiving degrees in
law and
economics from the
University of Paris, Soglo returned to Benin (then called
Dahomey) and was the inspector of finance (1965–1967) before his cousin, Colonel
Christophe Soglo, overthrew President
Sourou-Migan Apithy and appointed his relative, Nicéphore, as
minister of finance and economic affairs. Following the 1972
coup that brought
Mathieu Kérékou to power, he left the country and held positions at international organizations such as the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
World Bank. In the late 1980s, faced with growing dissatisfaction over a stagnant economy, the Kérékou government agreed to convene a national conference that would lead the country towards
multiparty democracy. The conference designated Nicéphore Soglo Prime Minister, and he took office on 12 March 1990. The conference produced a constitution that was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum held on 2 December 1990. In the country's first
multiparty presidential election, Soglo took first place in the first round, held on 10 March 1991, with 36.31% of the vote. A run-off against Kérékou followed on 24 March in which Soglo won a strong majority, receiving 67.73% of the vote—the first time that an opposition candidate in post-colonial Francophone Africa had won an election. He took office on 4 April 1991. In the following year, the
Renaissance Party of Benin (known by the acronym PRB or RB) was founded by
Rosine Vieyra Soglo; her husband became leader of the party in 1994. In 1993, President Soglo headed the Benin delegation which participated in the first
Tokyo International Conference on African Development. During his presidency, Soglo took efforts to refurbish Benin's devastated economy. These economic measures caused civil unrest and undermined his popularity. Despite these problems, his government was praised for its adherence to democratic principles and respect for
human rights. He advocated for
economic liberalization, like
privatization and
deregulation. His economic advisor embraced
neoliberalism. Soglo also began to embrace
neoliberal policies. In the
March 1996 presidential election, Soglo again took first place in the first round, but in the second round he was defeated by Mathieu Kérékou, receiving 47.51% of the vote. He is known as "Benin's
Walesa". In a bid to regain the presidency in the
March 2001 election, he placed second behind Mathieu Kérékou, winning 27.12% of the vote. Although Soglo qualified to participate in a run-off against Kérékou, he withdrew alleging irregularities, which resulted in a Kérékou victory. placing fourth with 8.44% of the vote. but he fared poorly, receiving only about 0.17% of the vote. In the 12th arrondissement, Soglo defeated pro-government Movement candidate
Sévérin Adjovi. Soglo was elected as Mayor by the city's council on 13 February 2003, receiving the support of 41 of the 45 councillors, and he was sworn in on the same day. He said that he would focus on reducing pollution and improving waste management and drainage. Along with former
United States President
Jimmy Carter, Soglo headed the multinational delegation of the
National Democratic Institute and the
Carter Center for the
October 2005 Liberian election. Soglo ran for re-election as a municipal councillor in the April 2008 local election in Cotonou; he was also the RB candidate for Mayor, vowing to continue to modernize the city and create a system of public transportation. He faced Jérôme Dandjinou of the governing
Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin. Following the local election, the municipal councillors re-elected Soglo as Mayor on 3 June 2008. There were 48 votes in favor of Soglo and one abstention. He was succeeded as Mayor by his son,
Léhady Soglo, who had previously served as his deputy. ==See also==