![Mauritania's Sidi Ould Tah stands at the podium before speaking after he was elected as the new president of the African Development Bank group in Abidjan on May 29, 2025. [ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images] | Akinwunmi Adesina](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/29052025/ea27fe93-b152-4ac5-ac7c-1f6ebb14a679.png?operations=autocrop(1042:580))
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Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania has been elected as the new president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), securing the influential position with 76.18% of votes after just three rounds—an emphatic victory compared to his predecessor Akinwumi Adesina, who required six rounds in 2015.
Tah, 60, a former Mauritanian economy minister and head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), emerged far ahead of his closest challenger, Zambia’s Samuel Munzele Maimbo, who garnered 20.26%, while Senegal’s Amadou Hott trailed with 3.55%.
The election required a majority from both the AfDB’s 81 member nations and the 54 African countries in the bloc. Tah received 72.37% of the African vote, cementing broad continental support.
![Sidi Ould Tah secured the influential position with 76.18% of votes after just three rounds—an emphatic victory compared to his predecessor Akinwumi Adesina, who required six rounds in 2015. [ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/29052025/21bcd3c0-57e8-4857-b271-47af58d8d9bb.jpeg)
Sidi Ould Tah secured the influential position with 76.18% of votes after just three rounds—an emphatic victory compared to his predecessor Akinwumi Adesina, who required six rounds in 2015. [ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images]
![FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State. [DailyTrust/Facebook]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/28102024/d1a504ad-3f2a-47f4-b22a-2c38c72fd50d?operations=autocrop(340:210))
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In a statement, Maimbo congratulated Tah, saying: “The Governors have chosen the leader they believe will best deliver the vision of the Africa we want at this pivotal moment.”
Tah takes the helm amid mounting challenges. Chief among them is the potential loss of $500 million in U.S. funding, following policy shifts under the Trump administration.
In his leadership pitch, Tah pledged to fortify regional financial institutions, promote Africa’s economic autonomy, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure.
His appointment is also seen as symbolic, potentially bridging North and Sub-Saharan Africa through his decade of experience at BADEA, where he forged development ties across the continent.
Adesina Bids Farewell
![Akinwumi Adesina, the outgoing president of African Development Bank (AFDB) delivers his farewell remarks during the African Development Bank group annual meeting opening ceremony in Abidjan on May 27, 2025. [ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/29052025/5d738cd2-2f83-4301-ac81-6da461adeb07.jpeg)
Akinwumi Adesina, the outgoing president of African Development Bank (AFDB) delivers his farewell remarks during the African Development Bank group annual meeting opening ceremony in Abidjan on May 27, 2025. [ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images]
Akinwumi Adesina, the outgoing president of African Development Bank (AFDB) delivers his farewell remarks during the African Development Bank group annual meeting opening ceremony in Abidjan on May 27, 2025. [ISSOUF SANOGO/Getty Images]
The AfDB, one of the world’s largest multilateral development institutions, has seen significant expansion under Adesina, whose 10-year tenure transformed it into a globally respected financier.
“We have built a world-class financial institution. 565 million people have benefited from our projects,” Adesina said in a farewell speech.
Under his leadership, the AfDB's capital base grew from $93 billion in 2015 to $318 billion today. Landmark projects include Africa’s largest wastewater treatment plant in Egypt, energy access in Kenya, and significant infrastructure in Togo, Senegal, and Lesotho.
Tah now faces the formidable task of sustaining and expanding that legacy as Africa contends with global economic headwinds and an urgent development agenda.