AfDB 9th President Sidi Ould Tah takes oath of office in Abidjan

By Isa Isawade

The Swearing-In Ceremony of the 9th President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, kicked off at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Monday morning.

Present at the august occasion are the Chairman of the event and Chair of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank Group, Ludovic Ngatsé who is Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Integration for the Republic of Congo; President of Côte d’Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara; outgoing President of the ADB, Akinwumi Adesina; President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani; representatives of international institutions and development partners; diplomats; private sector and civil society actors; members of the Board of Directors; staff of the African Development Bank Group, and other dignitaries.

Tah, at exactly 12:05 GMT took the oath of office before the Bank’s governors- Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors of member countries, thereby becoming the ninth President of the institution.

At 12:15 GMT, he mounted the podium to deliver his speech after a citation about him was read by the event’s master of ceremonies, Prof. Vincent Nmechielle.

The 60-year-old Tah is a renowned economist with extensive experience in development finance management and international cooperation.

Prior to his election as African Development Bank president, he was President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), a position he held since 2015. He also held several senior government positions in Mauritania, including Minister of Economy and Finance.

His election reflects the shareholders’ desire to further strengthen the Bank’s role as a catalyst for development finance, regional integration, and climate resilience in Africa.

Sidi Ould Tah is a national of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

He was elected to the highly esteemed post on May 29, 2025, in Abidjan by Bank Group governors representing the 81 member countries (54 African and 27 non-regional) with 76.18% of the votes. He succeeds the outgoing Nigerian Akinwumi Adesina.

According to the Bank, Adesina’s ten-year mandate enacted a decade of reforms and major achievements for the continent’s development.