Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, succeeding outgoing president Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who is concluding his second mandate.
The election was conducted on Thursday by the institution’s Board of Governors, the Bank Group’s highest decision-making body, comprising Finance and Economy Ministers or Central Bank Governors representing its 81 regional and non-regional member countries.
Announcing the results during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held on Thursday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire and Chairman of the Board of Governors, said: “The winning candidate is required to obtain at least 50.01% of both the regional and non-regional votes.”
In a statement made available on the official website of AfDB, the institution said Tah is expected to bring more than three decades of experience in African and international finance to the AfDB.
The president-elect most recently served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led a decade-long transformation that significantly expanded the Bank’s balance sheet and elevated its international standing.
“A Mauritanian national, Tah brings over 35 years of experience in African and international finance. He served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for 10 years from 2015, where he led a full transformation that quadrupled the Bank’s balance sheet, secured a AAA rating, and positioned it among the top-rated development banks focused on Africa.”
Before his tenure at BADEA, he served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and held several senior positions in multilateral institutions, spearheading efforts in financial reform and resource mobilisation across the continent.
“A former Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Mauritania, Tah has held senior roles in multilateral institutions and has led crisis response, financial reform, and innovative resource mobilization for Africa, including the establishment of BADEA’s $1 billion callable capital program for African MDBs.”
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Tah emerged victorious from a field of five approved candidates, which included Amadou Hott of Senegal, Samuel Maimbo of Zambia, Mahamat Abbas Tolli of Chad, and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa.
The shortlist was officially confirmed on 21 February 2025, following a submission deadline of 31 January.
Tah is expected to assume office on 1 September 2025, beginning a five-year term.
The African Development Bank Group consists of three entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund — and includes 54 regional member countries and 27 non-regional member countries among its shareholders.
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