By Ebenezer Mabinuola
In a landmark decision that sets the tone for the future of African development finance, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has elected Mauritania’s Dr. Sidi Ould Tah as its next president. The announcement was made on May 30 at the close of the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Tah is expected to take office on September 1, 2025, succeeding Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who steps down after a decade at the helm.
Tah’s election marks a generational shift for the AfDB at a time of growing economic complexity on the continent. He secured a commanding mandate, receiving 76.18 percent of total votes and 72.37 percent from African member countries. The election was decided by the Bank’s Board of Governors, which includes finance ministers and central bank governors from its 81 member states.
The result followed a competitive and transparent year-long selection process, featuring five candidates from across Africa. Among them were Senegal’s Amadou Hott, Zambia’s Samuel Maimbo, Chad’s Mahamat Abbas Tolli, and South Africa’s Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala. Tah’s broad support from both regional and non-regional shareholders underscored a rare consensus in an institution often shaped by geopolitical interests.
With more than three decades of experience in finance, economic policy, and multilateral development, Tah is no stranger to continental challenges. Since 2015, he has led the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he oversaw sweeping reforms that quadrupled the bank’s balance sheet and earned it a prestigious AAA credit rating. Under his leadership, BADEA launched a $1 billion callable capital program to support African development finance institutions.
Tah previously served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and held senior positions in international financial institutions, focusing on crisis response and capital mobilization.
“I am fully aware of the responsibility and duty that come with this position,” he said in his acceptance speech. “The work begins now, and I am ready.”
His appointment comes at a time of rising debt vulnerabilities, climate-related shocks, and shifting global alliances. As donor nations reassess development aid amid domestic fiscal pressures, African institutions are being called upon to do more with less—and to do it faster. Tah’s mandate will likely focus on scaling resilient infrastructure, strengthening regional financial institutions, and advancing the AfDB’s “High 5” priorities, which include energy, agriculture, industrialization, integration, and improving quality of life for Africans. These priorities also align with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the continent’s long-term development blueprint.
Tah will also inherit a significantly stronger institution, thanks to the legacy of his predecessor.
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who led the Bank from 2015 to 2025, is widely credited with transforming the AfDB into a globally respected financial powerhouse. During his tenure, the Bank’s capital base expanded from $93 billion to $318 billion, and its programs reached over 565 million people across the continent.
Among his signature achievements were Africa’s largest wastewater treatment plant in Egypt, the construction of the cross-border bridge linking Senegal and The Gambia, port modernization in Togo, and renewable energy and sanitation investments across Kenya and Lesotho. Under his leadership, the Bank was named the world’s best multilateral development bank in 2021 and topped global transparency rankings.
“This is not a job—it is a mission,” Adesina once said. In his farewell address, he echoed that sentiment, stating: “We have built a world-class financial institution that will continue to advance Africa’s position within a rapidly changing global development and geopolitical environment.”
Despite stepping down, Adesina hinted at a continued role in public service. “What gives me satisfaction is seeing lives transformed,” he said. “I will be available to serve—globally, in Africa, and in Nigeria.”
His departure ends a historic decade of Nigerian leadership at the AfDB, though Nigeria remains the Bank’s largest shareholder, with an 8.2 percent stake. The country recently secured a $500 million loan from the institution to support its power sector and pledged a similar amount to replenish the Nigeria Trust Fund, which finances projects across the continent.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated Tah on his election and praised the transparency of the process, reaffirming Nigeria’s support for the Bank’s mission. Former President Muhammadu Buhari also lauded Adesina’s legacy, calling it “spectacular” and expressing pride in having backed his candidacy a decade earlier.
As Tah prepares to take the reins, observers note that his leadership could serve as both a continuation and a reset. The AfDB, they say, is now poised to deepen reforms, expand investment in strategic sectors, and reinforce Africa’s financial autonomy in an increasingly multipolar world.
Whether this next chapter will fulfill its promise remains to be seen. But for now, the election of Dr. Sidi Ould Tah signals a vote of confidence in African expertise, vision, and leadership.
