Chantal Yayi

Chantal de Souza Yayi (born 28 January 1949) is a Beninese politician and former First Lady of Benin from 2006 until 2016. She is the wife of former Beninese President Thomas Boni Yayi.

Biography Chantal de Souza Yayi, a native of Ouidah, is a member of the prominent De Souza family, who are originally of Portuguese and Brazilian descent, based around the coastal city. She has ten siblings, including her late older brother, Marcel Alain de Souza (1953–2019), a banker and former President of the ECOWAS Commission. Yayi is a great granddaughter of Francisco Félix de Sousa, who was a Brazilian slave trader and the viceroy of Ouidah. She is the niece of Isidore de Souza, who served as the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cotonou from 1990 until 1999.

As first lady, Yayi focused on education and healthcare.

In preparation for the 2016 Beninese presidential election, Yayi helped her brother set up a small political party, the Republican Front for a Patriotic Alternative, or Front républicain pour une alternative patriotique, (Frap), which Marcel Alain de Souza chaired and used to launch his presidential candidacy.

In 2021, Yayi reportedly suffered a stroke following months of health problems.