Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, a Mauritanian, will be sworn-in tomorrow in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, as the new president of the African Development Bank (AfDB). He succeeds Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria who has successfully completed two terms of 10 years as president of the bank.
Tah was elected on May 29, 2025, during the annual meetings of the AfDB in Cote d’Ivoire with 76.18% of the votes. Tah is the first Mauritanian to be elected as president of the AfDB.
Tah holds a PhD in economics from the University of Nice, Sophia Antipolis, in France, and has advanced degrees from Paris VII-Jussieu and the University of Nouakchott. He has completed executive education at Harvard University, the London Business School, and the Swiss Finance Institute. He is fluent in Arabic, English and French, and has a working proficiency in Portuguese and Spanish.
A former President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) from 2015 to 2025, Dr Tah served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economy and Finance, where he was National Authorising Officer for the European Development Fund and represented Mauritania on the Boards of Governors of the AfDB, IsDB, World Bank, and over ten other development institutions.
Dr. Tah has also held board roles at leading regional institutions, including African Export-Import Bank, Trade and Development Bank, Africa Finance Corporation, and the Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC). A respected voice in global economic forums, he is a frequent invitee to the World Bank Development Committee and other high-level platforms.
A ceremony under the banner of diplomacy and African expertise
Tah’s victory reflects the success of Mauritanian diplomacy and the strong mobilization of African states in his favour. Several diplomatic levers contributed to the strength of his candidacy: the rotating presidency of the African Union held in 2024 by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the mobilization of regional and international support, and the influence of Arab League countries – thanks to the networks built by Sidi Ould Tah during his tenure at BADEA (Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa), which he led from 2015 to 2025. Under his leadership, BADEA improved its credit ratings and strengthened its impact on Africa’s economic development
Challenges and prospects ahead
One of Sidi Ould Tah’s first challenges will be mobilizing new sources of financing for the AfDB, particularly following the withdrawal of US$555 million in U.S. aid from the African Development Fund, dedicated to the continent’s most vulnerable countries. His extensive experience and international network are seen as key assets to strengthen the Bank’s role in development financing, structural transformation, and the promotion of Africa’s economic sovereignty.
