Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the new President of the African Development Bank Group. The announcement was made during the closing sessions of the Bank’s 2025 Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on May 30.
Tah, a veteran of African economic reform and international finance, will succeed Nigeria’s Dr Akinwumi Adesina, whose decade-long presidency comes to an end in August. Tah officially assumes office on 1 September 2025 for a five-year term.
The election, determined by the Bank’s Board of Governors – a body comprising Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from its 81 member countries – required the winner to secure a minimum of 50.01% of both regional and non-regional votes. Following a rigorous selection process involving five high-profile candidates, Tah emerged as the consensus choice.
His victory is regarded by many analysts as a strategic shift toward deepening Africa-focused financial transformation. Speaking shortly after his confirmation, Tah’s message was simple: “Let’s go to work now, I’m ready.”
This readiness is backed by more than three decades of relevant experience. As President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) since 2015, Tah led a sweeping institutional transformation that quadrupled the bank’s balance sheet and earned it a rare AAA credit rating, positioning BADEA as one of the most robust African development finance institutions.
He also brings experience as Mauritania’s former Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and has previously held senior roles in multilateral finance organisations. His tenure at BADEA was marked by innovation in crisis response, fiscal reform, and creative financing models—expertise many believe will be critical as AfDB pushes to accelerate its High 5 priorities: Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialise Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.
Tah’s election comes at a crucial time. With Africa navigating post-pandemic recovery, climate shocks, and global geopolitical shifts, the continent’s leading financial institution faces growing pressure to deliver results aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The announcement was made by Nialé Kaba, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development and Chairperson of the Board of Governors, in front of a high-powered gathering of African finance leaders and global partners. The Annual Meetings, themed “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development”, reflected a collective urgency to mobilise domestic and diaspora resources while leveraging institutional capital more effectively.
Tah beat a competitive field of candidates, including Senegal’s Amadou Hott, Zambia’s Samuel Maimbo, Chad’s Mahamat Abbas Tolli, and South Africa’s Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala. His emergence is seen as a balancing of regional representation and technocratic experience.
Since its inception in 1964, the African Development Bank has had eight presidents, with Tah becoming the ninth. His predecessors include Mamoun Beheiry (Sudan), Abdelwahab Labidi (Tunisia), Kwame Donkor Fordwor (Ghana), Willa Mung’Omba (Zambia), Babacar N’diaye (Senegal), Omar Kabbaj (Morocco), Donald Kaberuka (Rwanda), and Dr Akinwumi Adesina (Nigeria).
