News in brief:
– Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected President of the AfDB, securing the role with majority support from its 81-member Board of Governors.
– He will take office on September 1, 2025, bringing over 35 years of experience in African finance and leadership roles focused on economic reform and development.
Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan.
The election was decided by the Bank’s Board of Governors, which includes Finance and Economy Ministers or Central Bank Governors from the Bank’s 81 member countries, both regional and non-regional.
Tah, who will assume office on September 1, 2025, following the end of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s term, secured the presidency by obtaining the required majority vote of over 50 per cent in both regional and non-regional ballots.
He brings over 35 years of experience in African and international finance, including a decade-long tenure as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led a transformation that quadrupled the institution’s balance sheet and earned it a AAA credit rating.
In his remarks after the announcement, Tah stated, “Let’s go to work now, I’m ready!”
I am humbled and honored to be elected President of the @AfDB_Group. I extend my deepest gratitude to all who supported me – regional and non-regional members of the Bank and the leaders and countries that they represent. This marks the beginning of a challenging yet inspiring… pic.twitter.com/XRaaMpsJqR
— Sidi Ould Tah (@sidiouldtah) May 29, 2025
He has also served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and has held senior roles in multilateral organisations, focusing on crisis response, financial reform, and innovative resource mobilisation for Africa.
The 2025 AfDB Annual Meetings, held from May 26 to 30 under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” took place at a pivotal time for the Bank.
As Africa faces climate shocks and economic challenges, the Bank plays a vital role in helping the continent achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The AfDB Group includes the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund, with 54 African and 27 non-African member countries.
