Quick overview

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The new African Development Bank (AfDB) Group President, Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania, was chosen at the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. His second term ends this year, and he will succeed outgoing President Akinwumi Adesina.

 

The Bank’s highest decision-making body, the Board of Governors, consisting of the finance and economics ministers or central bank governors from each of the 81 AfDB member nations, chose Tah.

Minister of Planning and Development Niale Kaba of Côte d’Ivoire, who also serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Governors, announced the results.

The victor must receive at least 50 percent of the votes from regional and non-regional voters.

Tah, a native of Mauritius, brings over thirty years of experience as a leader in international and African finance.He oversaw significant institutional transformation while he served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) from 2015 to 2024,

Under his leadership, BADEA became one of the best-rated development banks focused on Africa, quadrupled its balance sheet, and earned the prestigious AAA credit rating.

Tah, who previously served as the Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Mauritania, has held senior positions in multilateral organizations, where he implemented financial reforms, led crisis response operations, and encouraged innovative resource mobilization throughout Africa, and BADEA’s $1 billion callable capital program to support African multilateral development banks.

Four other candidates, including Hott Amadou of Senegal, Maimbo Munzele of Zambia, and Tolli Mahamat of Chad, ran alongside Tah for the AfDB presidency.