Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah elected as new AfDB President

Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), according to an official announcement published on the Bank’s website on Thursday.

He is set to assume office on 1 September 2025, succeeding Nigeria’s Dr Akinwumi Adesina, whose ten-year tenure at the helm of the institution concludes this year.

The election result followed multiple rounds of voting by the AfDB Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The Board comprises finance ministers and central bank governors from the Bank’s 81 member countries.

Tah emerged victorious over four other candidates: Amadou Hott of Senegal, Samuel Maimbo of Zambia, Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad, and Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa.

Born in Mederdra, Mauritania, in 1964, Tah holds a doctorate in Economics from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France. He also received executive training at Harvard University and the London Business School.

He previously served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and more recently as Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). During his leadership, BADEA’s balance sheet quadrupled, and the institution achieved a AAA credit rating.

Tah’s campaign prioritised the mobilisation of private capital, the formalisation of the informal sector, and the development of Africa’s infrastructure to accelerate economic growth. He also pledged to strengthen partnerships with the private sector and enhance the Bank’s response to climate change.

The African Development Bank plays a crucial role in financing infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and industrial projects across the continent.

Tah’s election comes at a time when Africa faces several pressing challenges, including rising debt levels, constrained fiscal space, and the growing impact of climate change.