ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire (CHATNEWSTV) — May 29, 2025 — Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected the ninth president of the African Development Bank Group, the institution announced Thursday during its annual meetings in Abidjan.
“It’s a great honor and a solemn responsibility,” Tah said in a brief statement following the announcement. “Africa is ready to lead — and the Bank will be at the forefront of that transformation.”
Tah was chosen by the Bank’s Board of Governors, which includes finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the 81 member countries of the Bank Group. To win, a candidate must secure at least 50.01% of both regional and non-regional votes.
The results were formally announced by Niale Kaba, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development and chair of the Board of Governors.
Tah, who assumes office on Sept. 1 for a five-year term, succeeds Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose second term ends later this year.
The Mauritanian economist brings more than three decades of experience in African and international finance. Since 2015, he has served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led major institutional reforms, quadrupled the bank’s balance sheet, and secured a AAA credit rating — placing it among the top-rated development banks focused on the continent.
Previously, Tah was Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance. He has also worked with multilateral institutions and spearheaded initiatives such as BADEA’s $1 billion callable capital program to support African development banks.
The other candidates in the election were:
Amadou Hott (Senegal)
Samuel Maimbo (Zambia)
Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad)
Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa)
The selection process began with five approved candidates announced on Feb. 21, after nominations closed on Jan. 31.
Tah becomes the Bank’s ninth president since its founding in 1964. His predecessors include:
Mamoun Beheiry (Sudan), 1964–1970
Abdelwahab Labidi (Tunisia), 1970–1976
Kwame Donkor Fordwor (Ghana), 1976–1980
Willa Mung’Omba (Zambia), 1980–1985
Babacar N’diaye (Senegal), 1985–1995
Omar Kabbaj (Morocco), 1995–2005
Donald Kaberuka (Rwanda), 2005–2015
Akinwumi Adesina (Nigeria), 2015–2025
This year’s meetings, held from May 26–30 under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development,” come as the continent faces urgent challenges — from climate shocks and debt stress to slow progress on the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
The African Development Bank Group comprises the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund. Its 81 shareholders include 54 African nations and 27 non-African partner countries.
Editor: Gabriel Ani
