Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the ninth President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group. The announcement was made during the AfDB’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, from May 26 to 30, 2025.
Tah’s election came after a vote by the Bank Group’s Board of Governors, which includes finance and economy ministers and central bank governors from the bank’s 81 member countries—comprising both regional African and non-regional states. The results were formally announced by Niale Kaba, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development and Chair of the Board of Governors.
According to the bank’s electoral rules, a candidate must receive more than 50.01% of the votes from both regional and non-regional members to be declared the winner. Tah surpassed this threshold and is expected to begin his five-year term on September 1, 2025. He will succeed Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose second term ends this year.
With over 35 years of experience in African and international finance, Tah brings extensive expertise to the role. He served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for ten years, from 2015 to 2025. During his tenure, he led a transformation that quadrupled BADEA’s balance sheet and secured a AAA credit rating, elevating it among Africa-focused development banks.
Speaking after his election, Tah said, “Africa cannot afford to fall behind. This institution must continue to be bold in mobilizing the capital, partnerships, and innovation needed to deliver on our collective goals.” He also emphasized the importance of responding swiftly to Africa’s development needs: “We must leverage all available resources and forge strong partnerships to ensure Africa’s development ambitions become a reality. The challenges are significant, but with collective effort, they are surmountable.”
Before leading BADEA, Tah served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and held senior positions in various multilateral institutions, focusing on crisis response, financial reforms, and resource mobilization. He was a key architect of BADEA’s $1 billion callable capital program designed to support African multilateral development banks.
The 2025 AfDB presidential race featured five candidates: Sidi Ould Tah (Mauritania), Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad), and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa). Their candidacies were reviewed and approved by the Board of Governors Steering Committee by the January 31 deadline, with the official list announced on February 21.
Tah’s election comes amid rising expectations for African institutions to effectively tackle economic, social, and environmental challenges. This year’s annual meetings are themed “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” reflecting the urgency of mobilizing capital for the continent’s growth.
Since its founding in 1964, the African Development Bank has had eight presidents from across the continent, including leaders from Sudan, Tunisia, Ghana, Zambia, Senegal, Morocco, Rwanda, and Nigeria. Tah is the first Mauritanian to hold the position.
The AfDB Group consists of three entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund, with a membership spanning 54 African nations and 27 non-African countries.
