The African Development Bank (AfDB), a multinational financial institution that contributes to the development of African states, is undergoing a change of governance: Sidi Ould Tah, a Mauritanian politician and economist, has just been elected President. Sidi Ould Tah holds a doctorate in economics from the Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis, and is an alumnus with a distinguished career, having spent seven years as his country's Minister of Economy and Finance.

On May 29, Sidi Ould Tah was elected President of the AfDB at a General Meeting held in Abidjan. He thus becomes the ^9th president of the pan-African institution for the next five years. As written by IFC, an International Finance Corporation member of the AfDB, Dr. Sidi Ould Tah is a "distinguished economist, seasoned statesman and transformative development banker, whose career spans more than four decades of high-impact leadership across African and international institutions ".

Born in 1964 in Mauritania into a family of French-speaking teachers, Sidi Ould Tah "was raised in an environment of traditional science and culture". Having begun his studies in his country's capital (Nouakchott), he moved to France to pursue a doctorate in economics at the Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis (now Université Côte d'Azur), while also holding "advanced degrees" from Paris VII-Jussieu (now Université Paris Cité). As the IFC points out, he also completed his training at Harvard, the London Business School and the Swiss Institute of Finance. A polyglot leader, Dr Tah is "fluent in Arabic, English and French, with a professional command of Portuguese and Spanish", and has "over 35 years' experience in African and international finance", says the AfDB.

His election to the African Development Bank crowns a career as an economist and politician that began with the Mauritanian Bank for Development and Trade (BMDC), followed by the Mauritanian Ministry of Economy and Finance and the presidency of BADEA (Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa), where he remained for ten years.

For RFI, the election of Sidi Ould Tah, who possesses both "government experience and financial expertise", is indeed "the symbol of a changing world". The French international radio station believes that "this time, it is not the candidate supported by the United States who has won". As RFI also reports, he was just elected and addressed the Governors of the Bank and the media, gauging the "responsibility" that awaited him, before declaring: "Now, let's get to work. I'm ready!

Founded in 1964, the AfDB represents twenty-five of the continent's governments. "They all share the same mission and the same hope: that this new institution will contribute to the development and unity of Africa. Thanks to the creation of this organization, the AfDB emphasizes, "Africa is reclaiming its destiny".

Today, the African Development Bank Group has adopted a ten-year strategy (2024-2033) based on "a positive vision of Africa's potential to significantly improve its societies, economies and the quality of life of its people".

Over the next decade, says the AfDB, Africa "can generate sustained growth, drive transformation and contribute to essential global solutions". Such progress is linked to "its unique assets", namely "a young and dynamic workforce, growing urban consumer markets, integrated national economies, substantial clean energy potential and considerable natural resource wealth".

• African Development Bank press release
• Portrait on the IFC website
• Article on the RFI website