AfDB PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2025: FIVE CANDIDATES VIE TO LEAD AFRICA'S PREMIER DEVELOPMENT BANK.
BY NJERI IRUNGU
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
In the heart of Abidjan, against the backdrop of a continent in flux, the African Development Bank (AfDB) prepares to usher in a new era. As delegates gather for the bank’s annual meetings, a defining moment unfolds: the election of a new president to steer Africa’s premier development finance institution through an increasingly complex global landscape.
This year’s election comes not merely as a matter of institutional succession, but as a referendum on the direction Africa hopes to take amid rising financial pressures. Outgoing President Akinwumi Adesina—charismatic and ambitious—will step down later this year after serving the maximum two terms. The field of successors is as diverse as the continent itself, representing a rich tapestry of regional priorities, professional experience, and visions for Africa’s future.
Among the five candidates, Bajabulile “Swazi” Tshabalala of South Africa stands out not just for her résumé—which includes serving as the Bank’s Senior Vice President and CFO—but also as the only woman in the race. She brings to the fore a commitment to structural reform within the AfDB, and a belief that innovative finance mechanisms can unlock Africa’s latent infrastructure potential. Tshabalala’s vision is sharp: a more agile, responsive bank that empowers both governments and entrepreneurs.
From Senegal, Amadou Hott enters the contest with a message rooted in sovereignty and self-determination. The former Minister of Economy, Planning, and Cooperation wants Africa to chart its own course by bolstering domestic revenue collection and drawing in private sector investment. For Hott, the future lies in ending over-reliance on donor capital and instead harnessing the entrepreneurial energy of African youth and institutions.
Representing Zambia is Samuel Munzele Maimbo, a seasoned development financier currently serving as a Vice President at the World Bank. With three decades of experience under his belt, Maimbo envisions an AfDB that is more integrated within the continent—cutting red tape, harmonizing regulatory regimes, and deepening intra-African trade. His candidacy is built on pragmatism, but also ambition: to see Africa as a single economic powerhouse.
Sidi Ould Tah, the Mauritanian head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, brings a different lens—one grounded in resilience and reform. His platform highlights the urgent need to formalize Africa’s vast informal sector and to invest in climate-resilient infrastructure. For Tah, economic sovereignty isn't just an idea; it's a strategy for survival in an era of increasingly unpredictable global shocks.
Finally, Abbas Mahamat Tolli of Chad, with deep roots in both national finance and regional central banking, offers a candid look at the systemic weaknesses that plague African economies. Tolli proposes enhanced governance, better risk pooling, and digital finance innovations as pathways to long-term stability. His approach is deeply technocratic, yet firmly anchored in a belief that good policy must translate into tangible change.
Whoever emerges victorious today will inherit not just an institution but a mission at a turning point. The AfDB is facing tightening development finance flows, especially from traditional partners like the United States, which has proposed slashing contributions by over half a billion dollars. The next president will have to navigate these waters carefully—leveraging new alliances, mobilizing capital, and restoring confidence.
The stakes could not be higher. With 54 African member states and a global cohort of stakeholders, the election requires a majority of both African and overall votes. Behind closed doors, lobbying has been fierce and alliances carefully forged. But beyond the numbers, what this election truly represents is a choice between continuity and change, between safeguarding the bank’s gains and recalibrating for a more turbulent future.
As Abidjan awaits the outcome, the hopes of a continent hang in the balance. Africa needs a leader not just for its bank, but for its broader development ambitions—someone with the vision, courage, and political dexterity to turn a period of uncertainty into one of transformation.
