Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has sent his congratulations to President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, following the election of Sidi Ould Tah as President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Sidi Ould Tah was elected ninth President of the AfDB on Thursday 29 May, 2025; he will take over from Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina, who held the position for ten (10) years.
The Nigerian President sent his congratulations to the Mauritanian President via a “telephone conversation from Lagos on Thursday afternoon”.
Tah will assume office in September, succeeding Dr. Adesina who governed the Institution in two five-year terms.
President Tinubu is of the belief “that Dr Tah would bring a wealth of experience to the role, given his track record in former positions.”
President Tinubu’s congratulations to President El Ghazouani was made known via a State House Press Release signed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on Thursday 29 May, 2025.
In the Press Release titled ‘President Tinubu congratulates the Mauritanian President on the election of Sidi Ould Tah as AfDB President’, President Tinubu “pledged Nigeria’s full support for Mr. Tah in implementing his vision for the institution”.
According to the State House Press Release: “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. Tah was the former Mauritanian Finance Minister and Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
“In a telephone conversation from Lagos with the Mauritanian leader on Thursday afternoon, after Tah’s election at the AfDB’s Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, President Tinubu commended the transparent process that led to the emergence of the former Mauritanian Finance Minister. Tah will succeed Dr Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, who will step down in September after completing two five-year terms.
“President Tinubu believed that Dr Tah would bring a wealth of experience to the role, given his track record in former positions. President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong partnership with the AfDB, emphasising its status as the institution’s largest shareholder among its member countries, comprising 54 African nations and 27 non-African states.
“The President restated his commitment to working closely with the incoming AfDB president to advance shared priorities, including infrastructure development, agricultural transformation, energy access, and climate resilience. Nigeria recently approved a $500 million capital replenishment for the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF) in May 2025, extending the fund’s operations by another 15 years.
“Established in 1976, the NTF is a special AfDB fund fully financed by Nigeria to support development projects across Africa. This renewed commitment underscores Nigeria’s continued dedication to the Bank’s mission of driving inclusive growth and poverty reduction on the continent. President Tinubu pledged Nigeria’s full support for Mr. Tah in implementing his vision for the institution, including strengthening regional financial institutions, promoting Africa’s economic independence, leveraging population growth for development, and building climate-resilient infrastructure.
“President Tinubu thanked the outgoing President, Dr Adesina, and wished him success in his future endeavours.”
