Tah sworn in as new AfDB president, lists 4 priorities
Dr. Sidi Ould Tah was yesterday sworn-in as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) taking over from Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina who has completed his two terms. At exactly 11:04 Abidjan time, on Monday morning, Dr. Sidi took his oath-of-office, at the helm of Africa’s premier development finance institution succeeding Dr […]
Dr. Sidi Ould Tah was yesterday sworn-in as the ninth President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) taking over from Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina who has completed his two terms.
At exactly 11:04 Abidjan time, on Monday morning, Dr. Sidi took his oath-of-office, at the helm of Africa’s premier development finance institution succeeding Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina who has completed his two terms.
Côte d’Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara, and his Mauritanian counterpart President, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, graced the elaborate high-level ceremony held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire.
Former African Development Bank Group Presidents Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, and Dr. Donald Kaberuka, as well as the Bank Group’s Board of Governors, including Executive Directors, staff and international dignitaries were in attendance to witness the change of leadership.
The Republic of the Congo’s economy minister Ludovic Ngatsé, in his capacity as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Bank presided over the swearing in-ceremony.
Ould Tah, 60, who hails from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, was elected on 29 May 2025with over 76% of shareholder votes—the highest margin for a first-term president in the Bank’s history.
President Ouattara termed the change of leadership a “milestone which comes at a historic moment in the life of our pan-African institution” and “paves the way for a new era of hope for the Bank.”
Dr. Ould Tah outlined four priorities which will guide his presidency in the first 100 days of office: listening intently; launching a fast-track reform agenda; deepening partnerships, and accelerating real solutions as the core priorities.
The new President reiterated that the Bank will be “attentive, responsive, and capable of setting priorities that matter.”
He added that the Bank will enhance partnerships by working closely with governments, the private sector, and international partners, “so that together we create a financial framework that serves Africa on its own terms.”
Dr Ould Tah acknowledged the presence of Bank partners including Finance in Common, the Alliance of African Financial Institutions, the International Development Finance Club, and the Arab Coordination Group, and pledged his readiness “to expand the Bank’s partnership to new players such as sovereign funds, pensions funds and others”. Additionally, he made a commitment to “urgently revisit our investment models to include a dedicated pillar for investment in peace.”
President Ould Tah stated that he would organise a Town Hall “in the coming days” for Bank staff, whom he described as the “institution’s most valuable resource.”