Dr. Sidi Ould Tah was officially sworn in as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group on Monday morning at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The ceremony signified an important leadership change for the Bank, marking the beginning of a new era under Dr. Tah’s guidance.
According to a post by the AfDB on its X platform, the event was attended by numerous prominent figures, including the Chair of the AfDB Board of Governors and Congo’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration, Ludovic Ngatsé; Côte d’Ivoire’s President, Alassane Ouattara; outgoing AfDB President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; Mauritania’s President, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani; as well as representatives from international organizations, development partners, diplomats, private sector leaders, civil society members, the Bank’s Board of Directors, and AfDB staff.
At precisely 12:05 GMT, Dr. Tah took the oath of office before the Bank’s governing body—comprising Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from member nations—formally assuming his role as the institution’s ninth President.
At 12:15 GMT, he mounted the podium to deliver his speech after a citation about him was read by the event’s master of ceremonies, Prof. Vincent Nmechielle.
The 60-year-old Tah is a renowned economist with extensive experience in development finance management and international cooperation.
Before his election as African Development Bank president, he was President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, a position he has held since 2015. He also held several senior government positions in Mauritania, including Minister of Economy and Finance.
His election reflects the shareholders’ desire to further strengthen the Bank’s role as a catalyst for development finance, regional integration, and climate resilience in Africa.
Sidi Ould Tah is a national of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
He was elected to the highly esteemed post on May 29, 2025, in Abidjan by Bank Group governors representing the 81 member countries (54 African and 27 non-regional) with 76.18% of the votes. He succeeds the outgoing Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina.
According to the Bank, Adesina’s ten-year mandate enacted a decade of reforms and major achievements for the continent’s development.