10 Facts About Lionel Zinsou

Lionel Zinsou himself, who was born in Paris, is a nephew of Emile Derlin Lionel Zinsou, who was President of Dahomey from 1968 to 1969.

Lionel Zinsou is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Superieure and the London School of Economics.

Lionel Zinsou developed a close association with the French socialist politician Laurent Fabius and worked under Fabius in the mid-1980s while the latter was in government.

Lionel Zinsou was a partner at bankers Rothschilds before joining the investment fund PAI Partners in 2008.

Lionel Zinsou was Special Adviser to the President of Benin, Yayi Boni, from 2006 to 2011.

In 2013, his Lionel Zinsou Foundation opened in Ouidah, Benin, the first museum of contemporary art in sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa.

Lionel Zinsou's appointment came less than 10 months before the end of the President's second term, and as the latter is barred from seeking re-election, some viewed the appointment as possibly being a signal that Lionel Zinsou was his chosen successor.

Lionel Zinsou announced on 1 December 2015, that he would stand as the candidate of the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin in the 2016 presidential election.

Lionel Zinsou said that he would focus on financing agriculture and helping informal workers obtain formal employment.

In June 2017, Lionel Zinsou was appointed president of Terra Nova, a centre-left French think tank.