Toba Owojaiye reporting
Abuja, Nigeria
Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected the new President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, following a decisive round of voting by the Bank’s Board of Governors during the Annual Meetings in Abidjan. He will officially assume office on September 1, 2025, becoming the ninth president of the institution, succeeding Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, whose transformative 10-year leadership comes to an end this year.
Truth Live News gathered that Ould Tah emerged victorious over a competitive field of candidates including Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Abbas Mahamat Tolli (Chad), and Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa).
Sidi Ould Tah brings a wealth of experience in development finance, agriculture, and international cooperation. He is currently the Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), a position he has held since 2015. Under his leadership, BADEA significantly expanded its operations and portfolio, aligning Arab-African cooperation with Africa’s development priorities, particularly in infrastructure, food security, energy, and private sector growth.
Before joining BADEA, Ould Tah served in various high-profile roles in Mauritania, including:
Minister of Economic Affairs and Development
Advisor to the Prime Minister
Advisor to the President of the Republic on Economic and Financial Affairs
He also held teaching and research positions in economics, and is known for his academic rigor and deep understanding of the macroeconomic and structural challenges facing African economies.
The AfDB Board of Governors – comprising finance ministers and central bank governors from the institution’s 81 member countries – conducted a closed-door vote following candidate presentations and deliberations on their respective visions for Africa’s premier development finance institution.
Ould Tah’s election comes at a pivotal time for the continent, with growing demands for climate-resilient infrastructure, job creation, food sovereignty, and a restructured global financial architecture that reflects Africa’s voice. His background in mobilizing Arab funding for African development is seen as a strategic asset to leverage non-traditional partners and regional blocs.
As president, Ould Tah will be tasked with steering the AfDB’s operations across its High 5 priorities: Light Up and Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa.
He is also expected to play a leading role in shaping the continent’s response to climate change, debt sustainability, and the future of youth employment. With rising geopolitical realignments, his diplomatic acumen and multilingual fluency (Arabic, French, English) position him well to represent Africa’s development interests on the global stage.
Dr. Adesina, in a congratulatory message, described Tah as “a seasoned development leader whose experience will serve Africa well.”