Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), marking a new chapter for the institution as Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina prepares to conclude his decade-long leadership. The announcement of Tah’s election was made public by the Bank on its official website on Thursday.
Tah is set to officially assume office on September 1, 2025, following the conclusion of Adesina’s 10-year tenure. His emergence came after a competitive election process that took place during the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The election was conducted by the AfDB Board of Governors, which comprises finance ministers and central bank governors from the institution’s 81 member countries.
In a tightly contested race, Tah secured the top position over four other distinguished candidates: Amadou Hott of Senegal, Samuel Maimbo of Zambia, Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad, and Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa.
Tah brings a wealth of experience to the role. He holds a doctorate in Economics from the University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis in France and has undergone executive leadership training at both Harvard University and the London Business School. His career includes significant positions such as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa.
Throughout his campaign, Tah emphasized a bold vision for Africa’s economic future, pledging to focus on mobilizing private capital, integrating the informal sector into the formal economy, strengthening partnerships with the private sector, and enhancing the Bank’s capacity to respond to climate change challenges.
His election signals a strategic transition for the AfDB as it continues to play a central role in financing development and infrastructure projects across the African continent.
