Mauritania’s former Economy Minister, Sidi Ould Tah, has been elected as the new President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), succeeding Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina. His election took place during the AfDB’s 60th Annual Meetings in Abidjan.

Ould Tah inherits an institution that has seen a decade of reform and growing international stature. However, his leadership begins amid uncertainty, with the U.S. government considering pulling its support from the Bank by early 2026.

This looming withdrawal presents a significant challenge: maintaining AfDB’s global credibility and funding base in the absence of one of its key non-African partners.

Speaking to WADR, economist Professor Fallou Samb suggests the Bank must now deepen African member-state ownership, diversify its partnerships, and ramp up intra-African investment to maintain momentum and relevance.