The African Development Bank (AfDB) has elected Mauritanian new President to succeed Nigerian Akinwumi Addesina.
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 on Thursday.
“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 nonregional 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.
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