Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah Elected as New AfDB President

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has elected Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania as its new president, making him the ninth leader in the Bank’s history.

The announcement was made on Thursday following multiple rounds of voting by the Bank’s Board of Governors—comprising finance ministers and central bank governors from its 81 member countries—during the AfDB’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Tah is set to assume office on September 1, 2025, succeeding Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, whose decade-long leadership of the Bank concludes this year.

Tah emerged victorious over four other prominent candidates: Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Abbas Mahamat Tolli (Chad) and Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa)

Further details and official statements from the AfDB and key stakeholders are expected to follow.