Dr. Sidi Ould Tah was officially sworn in as the ninth president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Abidjan on 1 September 2025, marking a transition at the continent’s leading development finance institution. The ceremony followed his election by AfDB shareholders in May and comes as the bank faces significant funding and policy challenges.
Tah — a Mauritanian economist and long-time development banker — won the AfDB presidency on 29 May 2025 with a commanding share of the vote. He secured roughly 76% of shareholder votes in the third round, a margin commentators called decisive for a first-term president. He succeeds Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who completed two five-year terms.
Before his election, Tah led the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and served in senior economic posts in Mauritania, giving him decades of experience in development finance and public economic management. AfDB materials and profiles note his long record in multilateral and national finance roles as central to his mandate at the AfDB.
In remarks released by the bank, Tah framed the AfDB’s role as helping Africa “navigate megatrends toward increased self-reliance, ambition and agency,” and signalled priorities that include mobilising new financing sources, supporting infrastructure and climate resilience, and strengthening the bank’s operational effectiveness. Observers say those priorities will be tested by immediate fiscal headwinds facing the institution.
The AfDB is entering Tah’s term amid strained external support: the institution has been dealing with the loss or reduction of some donor financing and pressure to innovate in fundraising to close a continent-wide investment gap. Analysts and news reports have highlighted the need for the bank to balance development lending, climate finance, and debt sustainability across member countries while seeking new partners.
Reactions to Tah’s swearing-in were broadly positive from African capitals and development partners, noting his blend of regional experience and multilateral banking expertise. The coming months will test his ability to translate campaign commitments into financing strategies and operational reforms that can scale private and public investment across Africa.
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