Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the President of the African Development Bank Group, following the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Thursday.
Naijaonpoint reports that the announcement was made by Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire, and Chairman of the Bank Group’s Board of Governors.
Tah’s election was confirmed by the Bank’s Board of Governors, which includes the Finance and Economy Ministers or Central Bank Governors of the Bank Group’s 81 regional and non-regional member countries. The Board serves as the highest decision-making authority for the African Development Bank.
The election results showed that Tah secured the necessary 50.01% of votes from both the regional and non-regional members of the Board of Governors. Tah’s victory comes after a competitive process in which five candidates were nominated by the Board of Governors Steering Committee.
The candidates who vied for the position alongside Tah included Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad), and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa).
Tah’s mandate is set to begin on September 1, 2025, following the end of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina’s second term as the Bank’s president.
Tah brings over 35 years of experience in African and international finance to his new role. His tenure as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) from 2015 saw significant achievements, including the quadrupling of the bank’s balance sheet and the securing of a AAA rating, positioning BADEA as one of Africa’s top-rated development banks.
Before leading BADEA, Tah served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, and he has held key roles in multilateral institutions, leading initiatives on financial reform, crisis response, and resource mobilisation for Africa.
One of his notable achievements was the establishment of BADEA’s $1 billion callable capital program for African Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).
Tah’s election comes at a crucial time for the African Development Bank Group, which is celebrating its 60th year of existence. Africa has shown resilience in the face of climate shocks, economic disruptions, and a shifting geopolitical landscape. However, the continent needs to accelerate its progress to meet the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The African Development Bank Group is focusing on achieving its “High 5s” agenda, which includes lightening up Africa’s energy, feeding Africa, industrializing the continent, integrating Africa, and improving the quality of life for the people of Africa.
Tah will now lead the African Development Bank Group, which consists of three entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund. Its shareholders include 54 African countries and 27 non-African countries, making the Bank a crucial player in Africa’s development.