The African Development Bank Group’s (AfDB) new president is Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania. On Wednesday, May 29, during the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the election was held.
Following a fierce contest in which he defeated formidable opponents like Samuel Maimbo of Zambia and Amadou Hott of Senegal with 76.18% of the vote in the third round, Ould Tah secured the top position.
Ould Tah has more than 35 years of development and finance experience, so he is no stranger to the big stage. Most recently, he oversaw the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for almost ten years. He has also held the positions of Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance in Mauritania. His leadership resulted in a significant expansion of BADEA’s operations, a quadrupling of its balance sheet, and the bank’s coveted AAA credit rating.
On 1 September 2025, Ould Tah will formally succeed Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria. After ten years of leading the bank through significant development milestones, Adesina, who has held the position for two terms since 2015, is about to finish his term.
Ould Tah pledged in his acceptance speech to collaborate closely with each member nation in order to combat poverty, promote inclusive growth, and assist the continent’s efforts toward industrialization and green energy.
Given that the AfDB is still essential to funding private sector, energy, infrastructure, and agricultural projects throughout Africa, his election is viewed as a new beginning for the organization.
All eyes will be on Ould Tah, the new president, to produce outcomes and lead the bank to even bigger impact.
