The planned appointment of Sidi Ould Tah as head of the African Development Bank on September 1, 2025, following the Mauritanian’s victory in the May elections, reflects the success of the North African country’s diplomacy.
On September 1, 2025, Sidi Ould Tah will officially succeed Akinwumi Adesina as president of the African Development Bank (AfDB). It is recalled that on 29 May 2025, the economist and former minister was elected with 76.18% of the vote to the presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB), becoming the first Mauritanian to hold this position. A result that the former president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) attributed to the support of African states for his candidacy, but also that of the Mauritanian executive.
« It is with great humility and a sense of responsibility that I address you at this particular moment. I would like to first thank Africa for the trust it has just placed in me, I thank you, ladies and gentlemen governors, for this trust, of which I am sure of the responsibility and the duty that accompanies it. I would like to particularly thank my country and its leader, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, who has made tireless efforts for the success we have just achieved. »
Sidi Ould Tah, AfDB’s president-elect – Mauritania
Several diplomatic levers have been activated to support Sidi Ould Tah’s candidacy. Firstly, the rotating presidency of the African Union assumed by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani in 2024, which has increased Mauritania’s visibility on the continent. Next, mobilizing regional and international support, and finally, the influence of Arab League countries, thanks to their networks woven at the BADEA.
« Today, it’s no longer a matter of managing development, but of accelerating it. That’s why I think it’s imperative today that there is a reorganization of the African financial architecture, with synergy between the African Development Bank and other African financial institutions, as well as all development financing actors who operate on the African continent. »
Sidi Ould Tah, AfDB’s president-elect – Mauritania
Sidi Ould Tah’s campaign relied on a solid international network and highlighted his experience at the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), which he led from 2015 to 2025. Under his leadership, the BADEA has improved its credit ratings. One of the first challenges he will face as head of the AfDB will be to find new sources of funding for the multilateral institution after the withdrawal of $555 million in U.S. aid to the African Development Fund, which supports the most vulnerable countries.
