Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah elected President of African Development Bank
By Ernest Afram
Mauritanian economist and development finance expert Sidi Ould Tah has been elected as the next President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group. His election was announced during the Bank’s 2025 Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Mr. Tah was chosen by the AfDB’s Board of Governors—a high-level body made up of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors representing the institution’s 81 member countries, both regional and non-regional. His victory followed a competitive election involving five distinguished candidates from across the continent. The new president is expected to begin his five-year term on September 1, 2025, taking over from Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose second term ends this year. Adesina has led the Bank since 2015, steering major initiatives around agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and industrialization under the Bank’s “High 5” development priorities.
Mr. Tah’s election marks a new chapter in the Bank’s leadership. A Mauritanian national, he brings more than 35 years of experience in African and global finance. He most recently served as President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), a position he held from 2015. During his tenure, he led a successful transformation of the institution, quadrupling its balance sheet, achieving a AAA credit rating, and positioning it as a key financial player focused on Africa’s development.
Prior to that, he served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and held senior roles in multilateral institutions. He is widely respected for his leadership in financial reforms, crisis response, and innovative resource mobilization across Africa, including the launch of a $1 billion callable capital program to support African multilateral development banks.
Mr. Tah’s competitors in the election included Amadou Hott of Senegal, Samuel Maimbo of Zambia, Mahamat Abbas Tolli of Chad, and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa. The voting process required the winning candidate to secure at least 50.01% of the votes from both regional and non-regional member countries, a threshold Tah successfully met.
The 2025 AfDB Annual Meetings were held under the theme ‘Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.’ The discussions focused on unlocking domestic and international capital to finance sustainable development across the continent. This year’s meeting also marks 60 years since the Bank’s founding in 1964.
Mr. Tah now becomes the ninth president of the African Development Bank since its establishment. His election comes at a time when Africa is dealing with a complex mix of climate shocks, economic instability, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Yet, the continent remains determined to accelerate progress on the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Founded in 1964, the African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund. The Bank’s membership includes 54 African countries and 27 non-African countries.
Mr. Tah’s leadership is expected to build on the Bank’s legacy while introducing new strategies to help African economies unlock their potential and strengthen their resilience in a rapidly changing global landscape.
