12 key things to know about new AfDB president Sidi Ould Tah

By Samuel Oamen

on Thursday emerged as the ninth president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

The AfDB announced Tah’s election on Thursday following rounds of voting by the Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Tah will officially assume office on September 1, 2025, succeeding Nigeria’s Dr Akinwumi Adesina, whose 10-year tenure concludes this year.

He emerged victorious ahead of four other contenders: Amadou Hott (Senegal), Samuel Maimbo (Zambia), Abbas Mahamat Tolli (Chad), and Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa).

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

Here are key things to know about new AfDB president Sidi Ould Tah

1. Sidi Ould Tah was born in 1964 in Mederdra, Mauritania.

2. Holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis, France.

3. Completed executive training at both Harvard University and the London Business School.

4. He served as Minister of Economic Affairs in Mauritania.

5. He was appointed Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).

6. He oversaw a 4x increase in the bank’s balance sheet.

7. He secured a prestigious AAA credit rating for the bank.

8. He advocates for mobilising private investment across Africa.

9. Plans to integrate the informal sector into the formal economy.

10. Prioritises improving infrastructure as a driver of economic growth.

11. He pledges to deepen partnerships with the private sector.

12. He aims to enhance AfDB’s response to climate change.