Mauritanian economist Sidi Ould Tah was elected the 9th President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) during its Annual General Meeting held on May 29, 2025, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
He secured 76.18% to beat out Zambia’s Samuel Maimbo, who secured 20.26%, and Senegal’s Amadou Hott, who scored 3.55% of the total votes.
Here are eight key things to know about Sidi Ould Tah;
1). Sidi Ould Tah was born on December 31, 1964, in Mederdra, Mauritania.
2). He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis and a Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) in Economics from the University of Paris VII. He also has a post-graduate degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Nouakchott.
3.) Sidi Ould Tah brings over 35 years of expertise in African and international finance. He began his professional career in 1984 at the Mauritanian Bank for Development and Commerce (BMDC), where he worked as an expert.
4). He is a former Mauritanian Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance (2008–2015).
5). He also served as the Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he grew its assets from $4 billion to $7 billion and secured a AAA credit rating.
6). He has also held board roles with leading regional institutions, including the Africa Export-Import Bank, Trade and Development Bank, Africa Finance Corporation, and the Central African States Development Bank (BDEAC).
7). Sidi Ould Tah has been decorated by several African states, including as Grand Officer in the National Orders of Burkina Faso and Niger, and Officer of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal.
8). Tah will succeed Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, whose decade-long tenure ends in August 2025. His five-year term begins September 1, 2025, marking a new chapter for the AfDB.
