Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah has officially assumed office as the 9th President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, succeeding Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, whose 10-year tenure ended on Monday.
Tah, a seasoned economist and former head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, was elected on May 29 with 76.18 percent of the votes during the AfDB’s annual meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
In his acceptance remarks, Tah pledged to work with all stakeholders to strengthen the Bank’s role in Africa’s transformation, with a focus on economic growth, social reform, debt sustainability, climate change, and peace-building.
He thanked Presidents Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire and Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania for their support, while also acknowledging African intellectuals, civil society, and AfDB governors for contributing to the Bank’s vision.
“I will work in a spirit of consultation and collegiality to continue the mission of building a strong and prosperous Africa,” he said.
Tah praised the achievements of his predecessors, noting that the AfDB has become one of the continent’s most important financial institutions, and vowed to build on that legacy.
