By : Oluyemi Ogunseyin
The newly-elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has promised to drive Africa’s transformation with unity, ambition and purpose.
Tah made this promise on Thursday in a post on his official X account after being elected as the ninth President of the AfDB.
“I am humbled and honored to be elected President of the AfDB Group. I extend my deepest gratitude to all who supported me, regional and non-regional members of the bank and the leaders and countries that they represent. This marks the beginning of a challenging yet inspiring journey and together, we will drive Africa’s transformation with unity, ambition, and purpose,” he wrote.
The announcement of Tah as the new AfDB president was made on Thursday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, during the institution’s annual meetings, currently underway from May 26 to 30.
His election followed a vote by the Bank Group’s Board of Governors, which comprises Finance and Economy Ministers and Central Bank Governors from the Bank’s 81 member countries, including both regional and non-regional members.
The results were formally announced by Niale Kaba, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Planning and Development and Chair of the Board of Governors.
According to the Bank’s electoral rules, a candidate must receive more than 50.01% of the vote from both regional and non-regional members to be declared the winner.
Tah, who is set to begin his five-year term on September 1, 2025, will succeed Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose second term ends this year.
Tah enters the role with over 35 years of experience in international and African finance. Most recently, he served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), a position he held for ten years from 2015.
During his tenure, BADEA underwent a structural transformation that saw its balance sheet quadruple and its credit rating rise to AAA.
