Mauritanian economist Sidi Ould Tah was on Thursday, May 29, elected as the new President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, during the Bank’s annual meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

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Tah was elected with 76.18 per cent of the vote, becoming the ninth elected AfDB President. He will serve a renewable five-year term.

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Tah succeeds Akinwumi Adesina, who has completed his second and final term.

With more than 30 years of experience in economics, finance, and international development, Tah brings a wealth of expertise to his new role.

He previously served as President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), a development institution owned by the Arab League that provides financing to African countries.

Tah’s career includes high-level roles within the Mauritanian government, including Advisor to the President and Prime Minister (2006–2008), Minister of Economy and Finance, and later Minister of Economic Affairs and Development. Since 2015, he has led BADEA, championing regional development initiatives and cross-border projects. He also represented Mauritania at global financial institutions such as the AfDB and the World Bank.

During his campaign for the AfDB presidency, Tah laid out a bold vision for reform, emphasising a decentralised, digitally driven, and results-oriented institution. He proposed mobilizing up to $400 billion annually through innovative financing tools such as blended finance, green bonds, and AAA-backed risk guarantees to better support African governments.

"Youth and women are not a burden, they are the engine of development,” he said, calling for Africa to optimize every resource for long-term prosperity.