By Tajudeen Balogun
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated his Mauritania counterpart, President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani on the election of Dr Sidi Ould Tah as the 9th President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group.
Tinubu, according to a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, conveyed his best wishes during a telephone conversation he had with the Mauritanian leader on Thursday afternoon.
According to Onanuga, both leaders spoke shortly after Tah’s election as the new president of the regional financial institution following a hitch-free election process at the AfDB’s latest Annual Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Tah was the former Mauritanian Finance Minister and Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
Tinubu commended the transparent process that led to the emergence of the former Mauritanian Finance Minister.
Tah will succeed Nigerian, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, who will step down in August after completing two term of five-years each.
Tinubu was quoted to expressed the belief that Tah would bring on board his wealth of experience to the role, given his track record in former positions.
He 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.
Tinubu 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.
The New Diplomat reports that 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.
AfDB was established in 1976. 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” said the statement.
He also thanked the outgoing President, Adesina, and wished him success in his future endeavours.
