Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah has emerged the president of the African Development Bank Group.
Tah was elected recently by the Bank’s Board of Directors at the bank’s annual meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
He will assume office on September 1, 2025, taking over from Dr Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, whose 10-year tenure ends this year.
Tah emerged winner after rounds of voting conducted by the AfDB Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Niale Kaba, the Minister of Planning and Development for Cote d’ Ivoire and chairman of the board of Governors of AfDB, announced the results.
The president-elect is required to score about 50.1 per cent of regional and non-regional votes casts.
Tah has more than 35 years of experience both in African and International Finance.
He was president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa for 19 years and transformed the bank’s balance sheet.
The president-elect also secured an AAA rating for the bank, positioning it as one of the tops on the continent.
He was also Mauritania’s former Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance.
As senior personnel of multilateral institution, he mobilised huge resources for Africa.
Addressing the Bank Group’s governors and the media shortly after the announcement, Tah said, “Let’s go to work now, I’m ready!
He has also undergone executive training at Harvard University and the London Business School.
He previously served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and later as Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa.
During his tenure at BADEA, the bank’s balance sheet quadrupled and it secured a AAA credit rating.
Tah’s campaign focused on mobilising private capital, integrating the informal sector into the formal economy, and improving Africa’s infrastructure to boost growth.
He also pledged to deepen partnerships with the private sector and enhance the Bank’s response to climate change.
The African Development Bank plays a key role in financing infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and industrial projects across the continent.
Tah’s election comes at a time when the continent is grappling with multiple challenges, including high debt levels, limited fiscal space, and the effects of climate change.
