Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania was elected President of the African Development Bank Group at the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Tah, who brings over 35 years of experience in African and international finance, is recognised for his leadership at the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
Addressing the Bank Group’s governors and the media shortly after the announcement, Sidi Ould Tah said, “Let’s go to work now, I’m ready!”
During Sidi Ould Tah ten-year tenure as president of BADEA from 2015, Tah led a significant transformation that quadrupled the Bank’s balance sheet, secured a AAA rating, and positioned BADEA among the top-rated development banks focused on Africa. A former Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Mauritania, he has also held senior roles in multilateral institutions and has experience in leading crisis response, financial reform, and innovative resource mobilisation for Africa.
Sidi Ould Tah was elected by the Bank’s Board of Governors, which comprises Finance and Economy Ministers or Central Bank Governors from the Bank Group’s 81 regional and non-regional member countries. This board serves as the highest decision-making authority for the Bank Group. The winning candidate is required to obtain at least 50.01% of both the regional and non-regional votes. The results were announced by Nialé Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Bank Group.
Sidi Ould Tah will assume office on 1 September 2025, for a five-year term. He will succeed the current President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, following the end of Adesina’s second mandate.
The Board of Governors Steering Committee received and approved a total of five candidates by the closing date of 31 January 2025. The list of candidates was officially announced on 21 February 2025. The other candidates in the election were Amadou Hott of Senegal, Samuel Maimbo of Zambia, Mahamat Abbas Tolli of Chad, and Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa.
The election of a new president occurs at a significant time for the Bank Group, which has been in existence for six decades. While Africa has demonstrated resilience despite climate shocks, economic disruption, and a shifting geopolitical landscape, there is a need for accelerated progress to meet the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, which are encapsulated in the Bank Group’s High 5 priorities.
The 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group are being held from 26 to 30 May in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.”
The African Development Bank’s past heads since its establishment in 1964 are: 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; and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (Nigeria), 2015-2025.
The African Development Bank Group comprises three entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the Nigeria Trust Fund. Its shareholder countries include 54 African countries (regional member countries) and 27 non-African countries (non-regional member countries).
