Sidi Tah of Mauritania elected President of AfDB

Sidi Ould Tah from Mauritania has been elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group. The election took place during the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Tah was chosen by the Board of Governors. This board includes Finance and Economy Ministers or Central Bank Governors from 81 member countries. It is the highest decision-making authority for the Bank Group.

Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire, announced the results. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Governors.

To win, a candidate must secure at least 50.01% of votes from both regional and non-regional members.

Tah is a Mauritanian national with over 35 years in finance. He previously served as president of BADEA for ten years starting in 2015. Under his leadership, BADEA transformed significantly, quadrupling its balance sheet and achieving a AAA rating.

He has also held senior roles in multilateral institutions. His work includes crisis response and financial reform for Africa. Notably, he established BADEA’s $1 billion callable capital program for African MDBs.

The Board of Governors Steering Committee approved five candidates by January 31, 2025. The official list was announced on February 21, 2025.

Other candidates included:

- Amadou Hott (Senegal)
- Samuel Maimbo (Zambia)
- Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad)
- Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa)

Tah will take office on September 1, 2025. He will serve a five-year term after Dr. Akinwumi Adesina's second mandate ends.

Since its founding in 1964, past presidents 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
- Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (Nigeria), 2015-2025

This election comes at a critical time for the Bank Group's six-decade history. Africa has shown resilience amid climate shocks and economic disruptions but needs to accelerate progress toward Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals.

The next Annual Meetings will be held from May 26 to May 30 in Abidjan under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.”

The African Development Bank Group consists of three entities: AfDB, African Development Fund, and Nigeria Trust Fund. It includes shareholders from 54 African countries and 27 non-African countries.