The Secretary General was head of the Secretariat of the Organisation of African Unity.[1]
| No. | Portrait | Chairperson | Took office | Left office | Country | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kifle Wodajo | 25 May 1963 | 21 July 1964 |  Ethiopia |
East Africa | |
| 2 | Diallo Telli | 21 July 1964 | 15 June 1972 |  Guinea |
West Africa | |
| 3 | Nzo Ekangaki | 15 June 1972 | 16 June 1974 |  Cameroon |
Central Africa | |
| 4 | William Eteki | 16 June 1974 | 21 July 1978 |  Cameroon |
Central Africa | |
| 5 |  |
Edem Kodjo | 21 July 1978 | 12 June 1983 |  Togo |
West Africa |
| 6 | Peter Onu | 12 June 1983 | 20 July 1985 |  Nigeria |
West Africa | |
| 7 | Ide Oumarou | 20 July 1985 | 19 September 1989 |  Niger |
West Africa | |
| 8 |  |
Salim Ahmed Salim | 19 September 1989 | 17 September 2001 |  Tanzania |
East Africa |
| 9 |  |
Amara Essy | 17 September 2001 | 19 July 2002 |  Côte d'Ivoire |
West Africa |
