Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah Replaces Adesina as President of African Development Bank
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has elected Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania as its new president, marking a new era for one of Africa’s leading financial institutions.
He succeeds Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, who has served two five-year terms and will complete his tenure on August 31, 2025.
Tah was elected during the AfDB’s Annual General Meetings in Abidjan after securing the required majority from the Board of Governors, composed of finance ministers and central bank governors representing the Bank’s 81 member countries.
He is expected to officially assume office on September 1, 2025.
Sidi Ould Tah brings with him more than 35 years of experience in African and international finance and development. He previously served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance, and for the past decade, he has been the President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
Under his leadership at BADEA, the institution witnessed a transformative expansion — with its balance sheet quadrupling and the bank achieving a AAA credit rating.
These accomplishments have positioned Tah as a respected technocrat with a track record of innovation and fiscal discipline.
Tah’s election comes at a time of increasing economic challenges for the continent. One of his immediate tasks will be to navigate the potential loss of $555 million in U.S. funding to the AfDB’s African Development Fund (ADF), which supports over 30 of Africa’s poorest countries.
The Bank is also in the midst of a critical fundraising round targeting $25 billion, a significant leap from the $8.9 billion secured in the last round.
Additionally, Tah takes over as Africa confronts mounting fiscal pressure, rising debt levels, and a financing gap estimated at over $400 billion annually.
These challenges are exacerbated by external factors such as U.S. interest rate hikes, global commodity price fluctuations, and climate-induced disruptions.
One of the key initiatives expected under Tah’s leadership is the advancement of the African Financial Stability Mechanism, a proposed framework to prevent debt crises and enhance economic resilience among African nations.
Tah is also expected to focus on:
• Deepening private sector involvement in infrastructure and energy projects.
• Climate finance and green transition for sustainable development.
• Improving access to capital for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across the continent.
• Enhancing intra-African trade through support for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Development experts and financial observers see Tah’s election as a vote of confidence in his ability to guide Africa’s premier development finance institution through turbulent times. His background in economic policy, combined with a results-driven leadership style, is seen as crucial to the AfDB’s continued relevance and impact.
The outgoing president, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, leaves behind a legacy of record-breaking capital increases and major infrastructure investments across Africa.
Tah will now be tasked with building on that foundation while steering the Bank into a more complex global financial landscape.
Sidi Ould Tah’s election as AfDB president signals a new chapter in the Bank’s history and Africa’s development journey. With his wealth of experience and a proven track record in international development finance, Tah is expected to champion policies that accelerate inclusive economic growth and address the continent’s urgent fiscal and developmental needs.
As Africa looks toward a future of opportunity amid global uncertainty, all eyes will be on the new AfDB leadership to deliver solutions that matter.
