Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah has been elected as the ninth President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, succeeding Nigeria’s Dr Akinwumi Adesina, whose 10-year tenure ends this year.
His election was confirmed on Thursday during the AfDB Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and announced via the Bank’s official website.
Tah, who will assume office on September 1, 2025, emerged winner after rounds of voting by the Bank’s Board of Governors, made up of finance ministers and central bank governors from AfDB’s 81 member countries.
He beat four other candidates — Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Abbas Mahamat Tolli (Chad), and Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa).
Born in Mederdra, Mauritania, in 1964, Tah holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, France, and has received executive training at Harvard University and London Business School.
He previously served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and most recently as Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led the institution to a quadrupled balance sheet and a AAA credit rating.
Tah’s campaign focused on strengthening private sector partnerships, integrating the informal economy, and scaling up infrastructure development to drive inclusive growth across Africa. He also pledged to prioritise climate change response.
His election comes at a time when the continent faces tough economic realities — rising debt levels, shrinking fiscal space, and climate-related challenges — making the role of the AfDB more crucial than ever.
