Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah Elected President of the African Development Bank Group

29 May 2025 

Mauritania’s candidate, Mr. Sidi Ould Tah, was elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group today during the institution’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

Mr. Tah was elected by the Bank’s Board of Governors, which includes finance ministers, economy ministers, and central bank governors from the AfDB’s 81 member countries—both regional (African) and non-regional. He received 76.18% of the vote, surpassing candidates from Zambia (20.26%) and Senegal (3.55%).

Sidi Ould Tah has served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Development and, since 2016, as Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). His leadership there focused on strengthening Arab-African economic cooperation through financing and capacity-building projects.

Founded in 1964 and headquartered in Abidjan, the African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier multilateral development finance institution. It comprises three entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF), and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). The AfDB Group is tasked with promoting sustainable economic growth and reducing poverty on the continent through investments in infrastructure, regional integration, private sector development, governance, and skills development.

The Board of Governors, which elected Mr. Tah, is the AfDB’s highest decision-making body. His election marks a new chapter for the Bank as it continues to address critical development challenges across Africa.

TDS