A NEW ERA AT THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT Bank: SIDI OULD TAH STEPS INTO THE SPOTLIGHT.
BY NJERI IRUNGU
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, May 31, 2025
In a moment that marks both continuity and change for Africa’s premier development finance institution, Mauritanian economist Sidi Ould Tah has been elected the ninth President of the African Development Bank (AfDB). His election, announced during the AfDB’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan on May 29, ushers in a new chapter for the bank and for development financing across the continent.
Ould Tah is no stranger to Africa’s development landscape. Born on December 31, 1964, in the Trarza region of southern Mauritania, he has spent decades shaping economic policy and building financial bridges between Africa and the broader Arab world. His career spans both national leadership and global engagement—from serving as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, to leading the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for a transformative decade.
At BADEA, Ould Tah distinguished himself as a strategic reformer. Under his stewardship, the bank’s balance sheet quadrupled and it achieved a rare AAA credit rating—a testament to his careful fiscal management and bold vision for pan-African investment. His tenure there earned him accolades across the continent, including national honors from Chad, Senegal, and his home country of Mauritania.
His election to the AfDB presidency came after three rounds of intense voting, in which he secured over 76% of the total vote and strong backing from regional member states. Competing against a strong field of candidates—including Senegal’s Amadou Hott, Zambia’s Samuel Maimbo, and Swazi Tshabalala of South Africa—Ould Tah’s victory signals a broad consensus on the need for steady, experienced leadership at a time of mounting financial pressure on African economies.
That pressure is real. The continent continues to face a convergence of challenges: rising debt burdens, the lingering economic aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing climate crisis. Add to that a tightening of international aid, including a $555 million funding cut from the United States, and the need for innovation in development finance has never been greater.
Ould Tah has made it clear that he intends to meet these challenges head-on. In his first public statements as president-elect, he emphasized the importance of building new financial alliances—including with Gulf states—and mobilizing resources through both public and private channels. He also committed to accelerating the development of the African Financial Stability Mechanism, a continent-wide initiative aimed at improving macroeconomic resilience and protecting vulnerable economies from external shocks.
His academic credentials are no less impressive. With a PhD in economics from Université Nice-Sophia-Antipolis in France and advanced studies from Paris Diderot University, he brings both scholarly insight and practical experience to the role. But it’s perhaps his diplomatic instincts and deep understanding of Africa’s political economy that will define his presidency.
As he prepares to take office on September 1, 2025, Ould Tah steps into the shoes of his widely respected predecessor, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose decade at the helm saw the AfDB emerge as a vocal advocate for African priorities on the global stage. Continuing that legacy while forging a distinct path of his own will be Ould Tah’s delicate task—and greatest opportunity.
In the words of the president-elect himself, “We are ready to build the Africa we want—an Africa that is prosperous, sustainable, and globally competitive.” If his track record is anything to go by, Africa’s flagship development bank may indeed be in steady hands for the years ahead.
