Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah resumes as AfDB President ending Adesina’s decade at the helm
Sidi Ould Tah has officially assumed office as the ninth president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, succeeding Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, whose 10-year tenure ended on Monday.
Tah, a Mauritanian economist and development finance expert, was elected on May 29 during the AfDB’s annual meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He secured 76.18 percent of the votes in the election, reflecting strong support across the institution’s membership.
At the 2025 annual meetings, the newly elected president delivered his victory speech, outlining his vision for the Bank under his leadership. “We can indeed confirm that there was GPS jamming, but the plane landed safely in Bulgaria. We have received information from the Bulgarian authorities that they suspect that this was due to blatant interference by Russia,” a European Commission spokesperson said at a press briefing on Monday.
Emphasising the need for collective action, he added, “Collaboration and hard work are key to addressing challenges,” while assuring member states and stakeholders of his commitment to driving growth. He further noted that “his administration focuses on economic development and social reform.”
Tah’s succession marks the end of a transformative decade led by Adesina, who steered the Bank through critical reforms, infrastructure investments, and responses to global economic shocks.
