President Tinubu congratulates Mauritanian leader on election of Sidi Ould Tah as AfDB President

By Kunle Sanni
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania on the election of Dr. Sidi Ould Tah as the ninth President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
The congratulatory message followed a phone call between President Tinubu and his Mauritanian counterpart on Thursday, shortly after the announcement of Dr. Tah’s election at the AfDB Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Dr. Tah, a former Mauritanian Finance Minister and outgoing Director-General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), will take over from Nigeria’s Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who is set to conclude his second five-year term in September 2025.
President Tinubu praised the transparent electoral process that led to Dr. Tah’s emergence, expressing confidence in his capacity to lead the AfDB with distinction. “Dr. Tah brings a wealth of experience to the position, and we are optimistic about the future of the Bank under his leadership,” Tinubu said.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong and historic partnership with the AfDB, noting that Nigeria remains the Bank’s largest shareholder among its 81 member countries, which include 54 African nations and 27 non-African states.
The President also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to working with the incoming AfDB President to advance critical development goals, including infrastructure expansion, agricultural transformation, energy access, and climate resilience across the continent.
As part of that commitment, Nigeria recently approved a $500 million capital replenishment for the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF), a special fund established in 1976 and fully financed by Nigeria to support development projects in other African countries. The new funding extends the NTF’s operations by an additional 15 years.
President Tinubu assured Dr. Tah of Nigeria’s full support during his tenure, particularly in implementing reforms that promote regional financial integration, economic independence, climate-resilient infrastructure, and the productive use of Africa’s growing population.