Côte d'Ivoire: Sidi Ould Tah, the New President of the AfDB Group, to Be Sworn In Next Monday in Abidjan (Official)

The newly elected President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, Mauritanian national Sidi Ould Tah, will be officially sworn in on Monday, September 1st, 2025, at the Sofitel Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan. The ceremony will take place in the presence of Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.

The announcement was made in an official press release sent on Thursday, August 28, 2025, to incotedivoire.net.

According to the statement, the event will be chaired by Mr. Ludovic Ngatsé, Minister of Economy, Planning, and Regional Integration of the Republic of Congo, who currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the AfDB Group, and also represents Congo on the Board.

“This historic event will mark a transition in leadership at the helm of the continent’s most important multilateral financial institution. Mr. Sidi Ould Tah will take the oath of office before the Bank's Board of Governors, which includes Ministers of Finance, Ministers of Planning, and Central Bank Governors,” the statement read.

The document further notes that the swearing-in ceremony will be attended by President Alassane Ouattara, President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, heads of government, ambassadors, representatives of international institutions, development partners, diplomats, and many other dignitaries.

Aged 60, the new AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah is a citizen of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. He was elected on May 29, 2025, in Abidjan by the Bank’s Board of Governors, representing its 81 member countries (54 African and 27 non-regional members), securing 76.18% of the votes against four other candidates.

He succeeds Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, who served two consecutive terms, spending 10 years as head of the institution.

A seasoned economist, Sidi Ould Tah, brings extensive experience in development finance and international cooperation. Prior to his election, he served as President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).