Mauritanias Sidi Ould Tah Elected as Next AfDB President Amid Economic Pressures

Sidi Ould Tah, former finance minister of Mauritania, has been elected as the new president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) during the institutions annual meeting held Thursday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.


Tah will take over from Nigerias Akinwumi Adesina, whose second and final term ends in September 2025. According to a statement from the bank, Tah brings over three decades of experience in African and global finance. His leadership at the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) from 2015 to 2025 is noted for a major institutional overhaul that saw the banks balance sheet grow fourfold, achieving a AAA rating and gaining recognition as a top-rated African development finance institution.


He secured the presidency in a competitive race involving four other candidates: Senegals Amadou Hott, Zambias Samuel Maimbo, Chads Mahamat Abbas Tolli, and SAs Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala. According to AfDB election rules, a candidate must receive more than 50.01% of the votes to win.


Tahs five-year term will begin on September 1, 2025, with the possibility of re-election for a second term.
His leadership begins during a challenging period for African economies, with foreign aid reductions, trade tensions, and a slowdown in infrastructure funding from key international partners like China and the United States. The U.S. has recently imposed tariffs that have further reduced investor confidence, while high global interest rates are increasing the debt burden for many African nations.


Earlier this week, the AfDB revised its economic outlook for the continent, pointing to major global trade disruptions. However, the bank expressed confidence in Africas ability to withstand economic shocks, environmental threats, and shifting geopolitical forces.


Tah has been recognized for launching BADEAs $1 billion callable capital program, aimed at supporting African multilateral development banks. During his campaign, he emphasized priorities such as raising development finance, modernizing financial systems, supporting Africas growing youth population, and improving infrastructure resilience.


The AfDB is jointly owned by 54 African countries and several non-African states, including Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Nigeria remains the institutions largest shareholder.