New African Development Bank Group President to be sworn-in
Dr. Tah was elected to the 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.
Dr. Sidi Ould Tah will take the oath of office before the Bank’s governors, typically Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors of member countries, becoming the ninth President of the institution. (Courtesy photo)
By Simon Okitela
Journalists @New Vision
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The African Development Bank Group and the government of Côte d’Ivoire will hold the swearing-in ceremony for incoming President, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, on Monday, September 1, 2025, at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The event is expected to be chaired by Ludovic Ngatsé, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration for the Republic of Congo, also the Chair of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank Group.
The ceremony marks a leadership transition for the continent’s most important multilateral financial institution. The incoming President, 60 years old, is a national of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
He was elected to the 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, whose ten-year mandate concludes following a decade of reforms and major achievements for the continent’s development.
Dr. Tah will take the oath of office before the Bank’s governors, typically Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors of member countries, becoming the ninth President of the institution.
Heads of state and government, notably the Presidents of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara, and of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, representatives of international institutions, development partners, diplomats, as well as private sector and civil society actors, members of the Board of Directors, and staff of the African Development Bank Group are also expected to attend.
The handover ceremony will mark a major milestone in the governance of the African Development Bank Group.
Who is Dr. Tah
A renowned economist, Dr. Tah has extensive experience in development finance management and international cooperation. Prior to his election to the African Development Bank president, he was President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), 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 strengthen further the Bank’s role as a catalyst for development finance, regional integration, and climate resilience in Africa.
Ould Tah began his professional career in 1984 at the Mauritanian Bank for Development and Commerce (BMDC), where he worked as an expert.
He later worked as a financial analyst at the Food Security Commission in 1986 and as the Administration and Finance Manager for the Municipality of Nouakchott in 1987.
From 1988 to 1996, he held the position of Advisor to the Director General and Director of the Internal Auditing Department at the Nouakchott Port Authority.
In 1996, he joined the Arab Authority for Agriculture, Investment and Development (AAAID) in Khartoum as a financial analyst.
Between 1999 and 2006, Ould Tah served as an Investment Promotion Officer and later as a Technical Assistant to the President of the Islamic Development Bank.
He also held advisory roles to both the President and the Prime Minister of Mauritania from 2006 to 2008.