Tinubu congratulates Mauritania’s counterpart over Tah’a emergence as AfDB President 

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania following the election of Sidi Ould Tah as the ninth President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.

Tah, a former Mauritanian Finance Minister and Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), was elected during the AfDB’s Annual Meetings held recently in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

According to a statement issued by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a telephone conversation from Lagos on Thursday, President Tinubu praised the transparent election process that led to Tah’s emergence as the new AfDB President.

Tah is set to succeed DAkinwumi Adesina of Nigeria, who will step down in September after serving two consecutive five-year terms.

President Tinubu expressed confidence that Tah’s extensive experience in finance and development would greatly benefit the AfDB.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s strong partnership with the Bank, highlighting Nigeria’s position as the largest shareholder among the institution’s 81 member countries, which include 54 African nations and 27 non-African states.

The Nigerian leader also reiterated his commitment to collaborating closely with Dr. Tah to advance key priorities such as infrastructure development, agricultural transformation, energy access, and climate resilience across the continent.

In a further demonstration of Nigeria’s dedication to the AfDB’s mission, the country recently approved a $500 million capital replenishment for the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF) in May 2025. Established in 1976, the NTF is a special AfDB fund fully financed by Nigeria to support development projects throughout Africa. The replenishment will extend the fund’s operations by another 15 years.

President Tinubu pledged Nigeria’s full support for Tah’s vision, which includes strengthening regional financial institutions, promoting Africa’s economic independence, leveraging the continent’s population growth for development, and building climate-resilient infrastructure.

The President also expressed gratitude to outgoing AfDB President Adesina for his leadership and wished him success in his future endeavours.