According to an announcement posted on the AfDB website, Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah emerged as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has elected a new President.

According to an announcement posted on the AfDB website, Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah emerged as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group.

The newly elected President is expected to assume office on September 1, 2025.

He takes over from Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria.

Akinwumi led the bank for 10 years, serving two tenures of five years each.

"Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania was today elected President of the African Development Bank Group at the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire," the bank posted on its website today.

"Tah was elected by the Bank’s Board of Governors, comprising 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 results were announced by Niale Kaba, the Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Bank Group."

"The winning candidate is required to obtain at least 50.01% of both the regional and non-regional votes."

Tah emerged the winner after rounds of voting conducted by the AfDB Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The Board comprises finance ministers and central bank governors from the Bank’s 81 member countries.

He defeated four other contenders, including Amadou Hott of Senegal, Zambia’s Samuel Maimbo, Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad, and Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa. 

At the formal opening ceremony of the 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group, held in Abidjan, in a keynote address, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB Group, expressed joy at his tenure serving as the Bank's President.

This is even as he confirmed the African Development Bank (AfDB) had plans to invest $15 billion into the long-anticipated Lagos-Abidjan Highway Corridor, a landmark infrastructure project expected to significantly boost regional trade, integration, and mobility across five West African nations. 

He also expressed gratitude as he bowed out of the AfDB presidency:

"As I complete my two five-year terms as President of the African Development Bank, I am proud of the legacy we are leaving behind for my successor, for the Bank, and for Africa," he stated.

"The Bank supported the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex in Morocco, which was the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant at the time of its completion."

"We launched the Lagos to Abidjan highway corridor for which the African Development Bank is supporting the feasibility studies, and we have mobilized $15 billion in investment interests," Adesina stated.

"In Nigeria, we are implementing the development of special agro-industrial processing zones in 8 States and the FCT and have mobilized $2.9 billion to support the establishment of these zones in 28 more States of Nigeria."

He added: "We have stood by countries that were under sanctions to clear their debt arrears to the Bank, including Somalia and Sudan." 

"Over the 10-year period under my presidency, the African Development Bank would have provided a total of $102 billion in support to Africa. This represents 46% of all the financing of the Bank since its establishment in 1964." 

"The African Development Bank financed over $55 billion in support of infrastructure, from roads, rails, airports, seaports, digital and communications, health, water and sanitation."