Mauritania’s former Minister of Economy and Finance, Dr. Tau Sidi Ould of Mauritania has been elected as the new president of the African Development Bank. He becomes the 9th elected president of the AfDB Group established in 1964 and headquartered in Côte d’Ivoire.
Dr. Sidi Ould Tau, a distinguished economist, seasoned statesman, and transformative development banker, has a career that spans over four decades of high-impact leadership across African and international institutions.
As Mauritania’s Minister he also acted as National Authorizing Officer for the European Development Fund and represented Mauritania on the Boards of Governors of the AfDB, IsDB, World Bank, and more than ten other development institutions.
From 2015 until April 15, 2025, Dr. Tah served as President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), where he led a landmark institutional transformation that firmly repositioned the Bank as a leading force in Africa’s development finance landscape.
Under his visionary leadership, BADEA attained prestigious AA+/AAA credit ratings, increased its total assets from $4 billion to nearly $7 billion, and established itself as a model of operational excellence and strategic foresight.
Dr. Tah’s tenure was defined by innovation and resilience. He crafted and executed the Bank’s first 10-year strategy, BADEA 2030, and articulated a bold long-term vision with BADEA 2074, aligning the institution with Africa’s Agenda 2063.
Amid Sudan’s political crisis, he orchestrated the seamless relocation of BADEA’s headquarters from Khartoum to Riyadh—an extraordinary feat of crisis management and institutional continuity. Project approvals more than quadrupled under his leadership, digital infrastructure was significantly modernized, and the Bank maintained one of the lowest non-performing loan ratios among African DFIs (0.4% in 2024).
A champion of sustainable and inclusive finance, Dr. Tah established BADEA’s Sustainable Financing Framework and secured multiple ISO certifications in ESG standards and quality management. He has played an active role in advancing Africa’s position in global climate finance discussions, including through regular participation in the COP summits.
He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France, along with advanced degrees from Paris VII-Jussieu and the University of Nouakchott. He has completed executive education at Harvard University, the London Business School, and the Swiss Finance Institute. A polyglot, Dr. Tah is fluent in Arabic English and French, with working proficiency in Portuguese and Spanish.
The Grand Officer in the National Orders of Burkina Faso and Niger, and Officer of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal ran for the AfDB Presidency on 4 Cardinal points:
CARDINAL POINT 1:
Consolidate the Bank’s Financial Capacity
“Under my leadership as president of the African Development Bank Group, the AfDB will not limit ambition to its available capital. I will utilize callable capital, attract private co-financing, and enhance our impact using structured instruments that align with Africa’s needs.”
CARDINAL POINT 2: Deliver Results at Scale
“In development, scale is not just an aspiration; it is a test. I will transform AfDB from fragmented pilot projects to flagship interventions that have a multi-country reach, a real implementation framework, and measurable results.”
CARDINAL POINT 3: Strengthen Institutional Credibility
“Institutions succeed or fail based on the confidence they command. Under my leadership, the AfDB will restore this confidence through clear fiduciary standards, skilled staff, and predictable governance.”
CARDINAL POINT 4: Deepen Partnerships and Global Relevance
“The next #AfDB President must speak to investors in Riyadh, Beijing, and Nairobi with equal fluency. I bring a partnership model built not on aid but aligned capital and shared purpose.”
Tau will be succeeding Nigeria’s Dr Adewunmi Adesina.
