Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected the next President of the African Development Bank Group following a vote by the Bank’s Board of Governors at the 2025 Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The announcement was made by Nialé Kaba, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development and Chair of the Board of Governors.
Tah, who will assume office on September 1, 2025, secured the required majority from both regional and non-regional member countries. His election comes at a time when the Bank is working to accelerate progress on Africa’s development priorities, including Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Bringing over 35 years of experience in African and international finance, Tah most recently served as President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). During his decade at BADEA, he led a major transformation—quadrupling the bank’s balance sheet, earning a AAA rating, and establishing the institution as a top-rated African development financier.
Tah has also served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and held senior roles in multilateral organizations, with expertise in financial reform, crisis response, and resource mobilization. His leadership is expected to steer the Bank through complex economic, climate, and geopolitical challenges.
Upon accepting the position, Tah said, “Let’s go to work now, I’m ready,” affirming his readiness to lead the institution into its next phase.
The election process began earlier in the year, with five candidates approved by the Board of Governors Steering Committee. Besides Tah, the candidates included Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad), and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa).
Tah will succeed Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, whose presidency since 2015 has been marked by a focus on infrastructure development, food security, and private sector growth. Adesina’s leadership has elevated the Bank’s global standing and expanded its impact across member countries.
The African Development Bank has been led by eight presidents since its establishment in 1964, including figures from Sudan, Tunisia, Ghana, Zambia, Senegal, Morocco, Rwanda, and Nigeria. Tah becomes the ninth.
Held under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” the 2025 Annual Meetings reflect the Bank’s commitment to harnessing financial capital for inclusive and sustainable growth across the continent.
The African Development Bank Group comprises the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund. Its 81 member countries include 54 from Africa and 27 non-regional partners.
