Julius Nyerere (July 19 1922- October 14, 1999) was President of Tanzania, and previously Tanganyika, until his retirement. He was known by the Swahili name Mwalimu or 'teacher'. When in power, Nyerere implemented a socialist economic, establishing close ties with China, and also introduced a policy of collectivisation in the country's agriculture, known as ujamaa.

Nyerere was leader of the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) which merged with the Afro-Shirazi Party of Zanzibar to for the Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) or People's Revolutionary Movement.