Newly elected African Development Bank (AfDB) President Sidi Ould Tah has expressed deep gratitude following his election, describing the moment as both humbling and inspiring.
“I am humbled and honored to be elected President of the African Development Bank,” Tah said in a statement.
“I extend my deepest gratitude to all who supported me – regional and non-regional members of the Bank and the leaders and countries that they represent.”
Reflecting on the path ahead, the Mauritanian economist acknowledged the weight of the responsibility but emphasised a collective, ambitious drive toward the continent’s growth.
“This marks the beginning of a challenging yet inspiring journey. Together, we will drive Africa’s transformation with unity, ambition, and purpose.”
Sidi Ould Tah previously served as Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) before taking the helm at AfDB.
The Mauritanian beat four other candidates after three rounds of voting.
He becomes the 9th president of the pan-African institution for the next five years.
He succeeded Nigeria's Akinwumi Adesina, whose two five-year terms end in September.
Tah secured victory in the third round of voting with 76.18 per cent of the total votes, defeating Zambia's Samuel Maimbo and Senegal's Amadou Hott in a tightly contested race.
To win the election, candidates must secure a majority of votes from all member countries and a majority of votes from African nations.
Article 9 of the rules of procedure governing the election of the president as amended (the "Election Rules") provides that a candidate shall be elected if he or she obtains at least 50.01% of the total votes of the regional (African) member countries and at least of 50.01% of the votes of all member countries, (regional and non-regional) of the Bank.
This is also termed "double majority votes".
The president is elected by the board of governors of the bank, composed of representatives of the 81 member states, who are usually ministers of finance, planning or central bank governors or their duly designated alternates.
If there is no winner in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, a process that repeats until a candidate achieves the required majority.
