Victor EzejaA Mauritanian international finance expert, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, has been elected the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Tah’s election took place on Thursday at the ongoing Annual Meetings of AfDB in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAccording to a statement released on the AfDB website on Thursday, Tah was elected by the AfDB’s Board of Governors, which comprises Finance and Economy Ministers or Central Bank Governors of the Bank Group’s 81 regional and non-regional member countries. The board is the highest decision-making authority for the Bank Group, the statement said.
According to the statement, the election results were announced by Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Bank Group.
According to the guidelines, a candidate is required to obtain at least 50 per cent of both the regional and non-regional votes to win the election.
About Tah
Tah has over 35 years of experience in African and international finance. He has served as Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Mauritania and had senior roles in multilateral institutions. He also served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for 10 years from 2015, and was said to have “led a full transformation that quadrupled the Bank’s balance sheet, secured a AAA rating, and positioned it among the top-rated development banks focused on Africa.”
Tah, who was born in Mederdra, Mauritania, in 1964, holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Nice-Sophia-Antipolis University and a D.E.A. (Master’s degree) in Economics from Paris VII University. The AFDB president speaks Arabic, French and English.
AFDB Election
The election was contested by five candidates approved by the Board of Governors Steering Committee of the Bank Group.
Other candidates are: Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad), Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa).
Tah will assume office on 1 September 2025, for a five-year term. He succeeds Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose second mandate ends in August.
READ ALSO: AfDB, ECOWAS Seal $11.18m Deal To Boost Rice Production In West Africa
Since its inception in 1964, AfDB has had eight presidents:
- 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.
Tah will take the baton of leadership from Adesina and continue to work towards ensuring the realisation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, which are part of the Bank Group’s five priority areas designed to accelerate Africa’s development.
READ ALSO:AfDB Urges Action As Nigeria, African Nations Face $74bn Debt Burden
The 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group are taking place from May 26 to 30 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.”
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 or regional member countries, and 27 non-African countries or non-regional member countries.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
