Dr. Sidi Ould Tah officially assumed office as the ninth president of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), succeeding Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, whose decade-long tenure concluded in August 2025.
A Mauritanian national and seasoned economist, Dr. Ould Tah, 60, was elected on 29 May 2025 with 76.18% of shareholder votes, the highest margin ever recorded for a first-term AfDB president.
Transformational Leadership at BADEA
Prior to his election, Dr. Ould Tah served as President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led a sweeping transformation. Under his leadership:
- Assets expanded from $4 billion to nearly $7 billion
- Annual approvals rose twelvefold
- Disbursements increased eightfold
- The institution earned AA+/AAA credit ratings from global agencies
A Vision Anchored in Reform and Unity
In his inaugural address, Dr. Ould Tah unveiled his Four Cardinal Points—the strategic pillars guiding his first 100 days:
- Listening intently
- Launching a fast-track reform agenda
- Deepening partnerships
- Accelerating real solutions
“We will be the Bank that bridges divides—between regions, between ambitions and execution, between public and private, between urgency and bureaucracy,” he declared. “Let us move forward together—with urgency, with unity, and with unwavering accountability.”
He further emphasised AfDB’s role in steering Africa through global shifts:
“Africa must look North, South, East and West not to imitate, but to draw wisdom and strength from every direction while defining its own course. Like a navigator guided by the compass, the Bank should help Africa navigate the megatrends toward increased self-reliance, ambition, and agency.”
A Career Rooted in Development Finance
Dr. Ould Tah previously served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economy and Finance (2008–2015) and held board-level roles at the AfDB, World Bank, and Islamic Development Bank. Fluent in Arabic, English, and French—with working proficiency in Portuguese and Spanish—he brings a multilingual, multilateral lens to the Bank’s leadership.
