Dr. Sidi Ould Tah has officially been sworn in as the 9th President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). The 60 year old from Mauritania was elected on May 29, 2025, with a historic 76% of shareholder votes, the highest margin ever for a first-term president of the bank.
The ceremony took place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Dr. Ould Tah’s oath of office marked the end of Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina’s two terms. The event was attended by Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, along with former AfDB Presidents Dr. Adesina and Dr. Donald Kaberuka. The Republic of Congo’s economy minister, Ludovic Ngatse, in his role as Chair of the Board of Governors, presided over the ceremony.
President Ouattara called the leadership change a “milestone,” paving the way for a “new era of hope for the Bank.” President Ghazouani expressed his confidence in Dr. Ould Tah, noting the “heavy responsibility to ensure that the Bank enhances its key role in promoting the economic and social development of the continent.”
In his inaugural speech, Dr. Ould Tah outlined his “Four Cardinal Points” that will guide his first 100 days: listening intently, launching a fast-track reform agenda, deepening partnerships, and accelerating real solutions. He emphasized that the bank will be “attentive, responsive, and capable of setting priorities that matter.”
Dr. Ould Tah also committed to:
- Enhancing partnerships with governments, the private sector, and international partners.
- Expanding partnerships to new players like sovereign and pension funds.
- “Urgently revisit our investment models to include a dedicated pillar for investment in peace.”
He stressed that the AfDB should focus on areas where it can have the greatest impact, avoiding the trap of trying to be “everything to everyone.” Instead, the bank will help Africa “navigate the megatrends toward increased self-reliance, ambition, and agency.”
Before his election, Dr. Ould Tah served as the President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led a significant transformation. Under his leadership, BADEA’s assets grew from $4 billion to nearly $7 billion, and its credit ratings reached AA+/AAA. He also has a background as a former Minister of Economy and Finance of Mauritania and has held key positions on the boards of the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.
Fluent in Arabic, English, and French, with working proficiency in Portuguese and Spanish, Dr. Ould Tah holds a PhD in Economics. He takes the helm of an institution with strong fundamentals, including $318 billion in capital and a decade-long AAA credit rating.