Dr Sidi Ould Tah Sworn In as Ninth President of AfDB
History was made today as Dr Sidi Ould Tah assumed office as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), succeeding Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina who completed two five-year terms.
At exactly 11:04 a.m. Abidjan time, Dr Ould Tah, 60, took the oath of office during an elaborate ceremony held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire. The rainswept Monday morning did not dampen the high-level gathering, which was graced by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
The swearing-in was presided over by Ludovic Ngatsé, Congo’s Minister of Economy and current Chair of the AfDB Board of Governors. Former AfDB Presidents Dr Adesina and Dr Donald Kaberuka joined Executive Directors, international dignitaries, staff and partners to witness the transition.
Dr Ould Tah, a Mauritanian national, was elected on 29 May 2025 with over 76 per cent of shareholder votes—the highest margin ever recorded for a first-term AfDB president.
President Ouattara hailed the moment as a “historic milestone for our pan-African institution,” while President Ghazouani described the change in leadership as an opportunity for the Bank to strengthen its role in Africa’s economic and social development.
In his inaugural address, Dr Ould Tah pledged to build “a bank that bridges divides—between regions, between ambitions and execution, between public and private, between urgency and bureaucracy.”
He outlined four immediate priorities for his first 100 days in office: listening closely to stakeholders, fast-tracking reforms, deepening partnerships, and accelerating practical solutions. He also promised to enhance collaboration with governments, the private sector and global partners while seeking to expand engagement with sovereign and pension funds.
The new President committed to revisiting investment models to include a dedicated pillar for peace and announced plans for an early Townhall meeting with AfDB staff, whom he described as the institution’s “most valuable resource.”
Envisioning the Bank’s role as a “navigator” for the continent, Dr Ould Tah stressed the importance of helping Africa respond to megatrends such as demographics, technology, and climate change. He emphasised that while the Bank cannot be “everything to everyone,” it must focus on areas where it can “move the needle most, always with the spirit of partnership.”
Dr Ould Tah brings to the role over four decades of experience in development finance and public policy. As former President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), he oversaw a major institutional transformation, boosting assets from $4 billion to nearly $7 billion and securing top-tier credit ratings. He also served as Mauritania’s Minister of Economy and Finance from 2008 to 2015.
Fluent in Arabic, English and French, with working knowledge of Portuguese and Spanish, Dr Ould Tah holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France.
He takes charge of a Bank with $318 billion in capital, a decade-long record of AAA credit ratings, and $102 billion in development financing approved over the last ten years.
The ceremony was attended by international partners, diplomats, civil society, and private sector representatives. Notably, three of the candidates who contested the presidency alongside Dr Ould Tah—Ms Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala, Mr Amadou Hott and Dr Samuel Munzele Maimbo—were present to witness the handover.
