Sidi Ould Tah will take over as President of the African Development Bank on Monday, September 1, 2025, after his brilliant election as head of the pan-African financial institution on May 29, 2025. A diplomat, Mauritanian economist, and former President of BADEA, the new president wants to mobilize the institution for the major challenges of the African continent: mobilizing more than $400 billion per year for infrastructure, capitalizing on Africa’s demographic dividend, and diversifying sources of financing.
At the helm of the African Development Bank, Sidi Ould Tah wants to realize the vision proposed for his accession to this prestigious position, in particular: increasing financing for African infrastructure, with a target of 400 billion dollars per year; reforming the African financial architecture, to create synergy between the AfDB and other multilateral institutions operating in Africa; benefiting from African demographic growth to transform it into a dividend by investing in the training of young people. The new president of the AfDB finally intends to invest more in industrialization and the processing of local raw materials to have economies generating real added value in social development.
“It is imperative for Africa to act now; we cannot wait any longer because it is crucial that Africa begins to develop its industrialisation today and that African raw materials are processed on African soil. This requires a number of efforts in terms of infrastructure, production factors and, above all, the unwavering commitment of all stakeholders, especially African financial institutions and their partners around the world.”
Sidi Ould Tah, President of the AfDB – Mauritania
Sidi Ould Tah also headed the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) from 2015 until April 2025. At the helm of BADEA, the leader worked to improve the institution’s credit ratings and increased its capital from $5 billion to $20 billion between 2022 and 2025.
“The central role of the AfDB, its legitimacy and expertise are very important in helping African governments navigate through difficult times in the global economy. Above all, it is important to strengthen the capacity to mobilise domestic resources and develop fiscal space capable of mitigating exogenous shocks that are likely to impact the trajectory of African economies.”
Sidi Ould Tah, President of the AfDB – Mauritania
Sidi Ould Tah was elected on May 29, 2025 as President of the AfDB in a complex geopolitical context marked by the reduction of international financing towards Africa. He wishes to bring his expertise in the diversification of financing, as well as the management of impactful investments in the service of African populations and States.
